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Mexico City (apro) – Recent studies have revealed the presence of microplastics in testicles and semen, and now a new study allows the detection of these materials in the penis.
New research suggests that microplastics are spreading throughout the human body, with some concentrated in male anatomy, such as the testicles. Until recently, there was no direct evidence of the presence of these materials in penile tissue, but a team of scientists took samples from six men and found microplastics in 80% of them.
According to the study, which was recently published in the scientific journal International Journal of Impotence Research, samples were taken from six men who underwent surgery to place a multi-component inflatable penile prosthesis before the device was implanted.
The tissue sections were analyzed using a direct infrared chemical imaging system, with which the scientists were able to identify microplastics in 80% of the samples, ranging in size from 20 to 500 micrometers (μm), using a laser. In addition, smaller particles as small as 2 µm were detected using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In this study, it was announced that the team was able to identify seven types of microplastics in penile tissue, including polyethylene terephthalate (47.8%) and polypropylene (34.7%).
The detection of microplastics in penile tissue raises questions about the impact of environmental pollutants on people’s sexual and reproductive health. The study points out that the spread of microplastics represents a growing environmental and health crisis. These materials, which are less than 5 mm in diameter, have infiltrated the atmosphere, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, and have infiltrated common consumer products such as seafood, sea salt and bottled drinks.
These sizes and surface areas make them susceptible to interaction with physiological fluids and tissues, raising concerns about bioaccumulation and toxicity as humans are exposed to microplastics through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact.
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