Jessica Biel: After human Testicles, Microplastics discovered in human Penises for first time

Jessica Biel: What, plastic is in our dicks and balls now?

Microplastics were found in 80 per cent of the samples, ranging from 20 to 500 micrometres, according to the study.

Microplastics discovered in human penises for the first time

Microplastics have been defined as tiny chunks of less than five millimetres long pieces of plastic and microfibres from clothes that get caught in the Earth’s atmosphere.

In yet another shocking discovery, scientists have found microplastics in human penises for the first time as concerns over the proliferation of these tiny particles and their potential impact on health mount. The recently published study came nearly a month after researchers at the University of New Mexico found microplastics in human testicles.

In a number of recent studies, it was found that microplastics are detected virtually everywhere, from rain, and snow to even human blood and hearts.

The study published in the IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal on Wednesday (Jun 19) said seven different types of microplastics were found in the penile tissue of six men who had undergone surgery treating erectile dysfunction (ED).

“The detection of microplastics in penile tissue raises inquiries on the ramifications of environmental pollutants on sexual health,” the study noted.

Scientists from the University of Miami, the University of Colorado, and the research institution Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Germany found that among the seven different types of microplastics found, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (47.8 per cent) and polypropylene (PP) (34.7 per cent) were the most prevalent.

Scientists find nine kinds of microplastics in human hearts

The analysis of the penile tissue samples collected from six individuals was done using a technique called Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) microspectroscopy, which not only detects the presence of microplastics but also the size and quantity.

Microplastics were found in 80 per cent of the samples, ranging from 20 to 500 micrometres, according to the study.

Ranjith Ramasamy, lead author of the study and an expert in reproductive urology from the University of Miami told CNN that his research was based on the findings of another study which found evidence of microplastics in human hearts.

He also said that since the samples were taken from study participants who had been diagnosed with ED and had been in the hospital for penile implants to treat the condition.

Ramasamy noted that further research needed to be done to investigate the potential links between the presence of microplastics to conditions such as ED.

Microplastics are everywhere

Microplastics have been defined as tiny chunks of less than five millimetres long pieces of plastic and microfibres from clothes that get caught in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Previous studies have also confirmed the worst fears that microplastics are being carried all around the world including remote areas such as Antarctica where microplastics were found in the fresh snowfall.

Studies have also found that they can enter the human body through mouth, nose and other body cavities. However, scientists have yet to find out the potential exposure to, and effects from, microplastics, on the human body.