Microplastics are found in human penises for the first time

Scientists have found microplastics in human penises for the first time, as concerns grow about the proliferation of the tiny particles and their possible health effects.

Seven different types of microplastics were found in four of five penile tissue samples taken from five different men, as part of a study published in IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal on Wednesday (19).

Microplastics are polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) to 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer). Anything smaller is a nanoplastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter. They form when larger plastics chemically degrade or physically wear into smaller pieces.

Some tiny particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, experts say, and evidence is mounting that they are increasingly present in our bodies.

The study’s lead author, Ranjith Ramasamy, a reproductive urology specialist who conducted the research while working at the University of Miami, tells CNN who used a previous study that found evidence of microplastics in the human heart as the basis for their research.

Ramasamy says he was not surprised to find microplastics in the penis, as it is a “very vascular organ”, like the heart.

The samples were taken from study participants who had been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED) and were in the hospital undergoing penile implant surgeries to treat the condition at the University of Miami between August and September 2023.

The samples were then analyzed using chemical imaging, which revealed that four of the five men had microplastics in their penile tissue.

Seven different types of microplastics were detected, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) being the most prevalent, according to the study.

Now that their presence has been confirmed, more research is needed to investigate possible links to conditions like ED, according to Ramasamy.

“We need to identify whether microplastics are linked to ED and whether there is a level beyond which they cause pathology and which types of microplastics are pathogenic,” he says.

As for the broader implications of the findings, Ramasamy says he hoped the study would “create more awareness about the presence of foreign bodies in human organs and promote more research on this topic.”

Previous research found that one liter of bottled water — the equivalent of two standard-sized water bottles — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles.

“I think we need to be careful about consuming water and food from plastic bottles and containers and try to limit use until more research is done to identify levels that can cause pathology,” says Ramasamy.

Toxicologist Matthew J. Campen told CNN that this is “an interesting study that confirms the ubiquity of plastics in the body.”

“As we try to understand the possible health effects of plastics, this is another concerning paper,” says Campen, regents professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, who was not involved in the research.

“Plastics generally do not react with our body’s cells and chemicals, but they can be physically disruptive to many of the processes our bodies undertake for normal functioning, including functions related to erection and sperm production.”

Campen co-authored a study published in May that found that human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than those found in animal testicles and human placentas.

The study tested 23 testicles preserved from the cadavers of men who were between 16 and 88 years old at the time of their death, then compared the levels of 12 different types of plastics in those testicles with plastics found in 47 dog testicles.

“Levels of microplastic fragments and types of plastics in human testicles were three times higher than those found in dogs, and dogs eat off the ground,” Campen said at the time the study was published. “So it really puts into perspective what we’re putting into our own bodies.”

There are steps you can take to reduce your exposure to microplastics.

“One is to reduce our plastic footprint by using stainless steel and glass containers when possible,” said Leonardo Trasande, director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, in a previous interview with CNN international.

“Avoid microwaving foods or drinks in plastic, including infant formula and pumped human milk, and do not put plastic in the dishwasher, as heat can cause chemicals to be released,” adds Trasande, who is also the author. core of the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on food additives and children’s health.