The discovery of microplastics in penises raises questions about erectile dysfunction

Microplastics have been discovered in penises for the first time, raising questions about a possible role in erectile dysfunction.

The revelation comes after the contaminants were recently found in testicles and semen. Male fertility has declined in recent decades and more research into the potential harm of microplastics to reproduction is imperative, experts say.

The researchers said the penis could be particularly vulnerable to microplastic contamination due to the high blood flow during erections. People ingest microplastics through food, drink and breathing. The small particles have been found in the blood.

The study assessed tissue taken from five men undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction. Microplastics were found in four cases, of which PET and polypropylene were the most common. Both are used in food and beverage packaging and other everyday items.

There appears to be widespread contamination of people’s bodies with microplastics, and scientists are finding them wherever they look. The impact on health is still unknown, but it has been shown in the laboratory that microplastics cause damage to human cells.

The particles can cause inflammation in tissue, like air pollution particles do, and chemicals in the plastics can also cause damage. Doctors found a substantially increased risk of death from stroke or heart attack in people whose arteries were contaminated with microplastics.

Millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped into the environment every year, much of which breaks down into microplastics. These have polluted the entire planet, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.

Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, who led the new research while at the University of Miami in the US, said: “The penis is a vascular, spongy organ and therefore absolutely fragile. During an erection, one-fifth of the blood volume in the entire body is pumped to the penis.”

He added: “We know that erectile dysfunction is multifactorial. You need good hormones, nerves, blood supply and good smooth muscle tissue for an erection to occur.

“We discovered that microplastics were present in the smooth muscle of the penis. All we know is that they are not supposed to be there, and we suspect that this could lead to smooth muscle dysfunction.”

Ramasamy said more research is urgently needed to determine the potential role of microplastics in erectile dysfunction and male infertility. Men’s sperm counts have been declining for decades and 40% of low counts remain unexplained, although chemical pollution is implicated by many studies. Recent studies in mice have shown that microplastics reduced sperm count And causes deviations and hormone disruption.

Ramasamy said: “We have moved beyond the question of whether we have microplastics in us, to whether there is a level of microplastics above which things become pathological.”

The new research, published in IJIR: Your Journal of Sexual Medicineanalyzed tissue samples from five men who underwent surgery for an inflatable penile prosthesis, a treatment option for men with severe erectile dysfunction. The microplastics detected ranged in size from 0.5 mm to 0.002 mm.

The researchers said the widespread spread of microplastics was alarming and it was imperative to understand the potential impacts on human health.

Ramasamy said: “As a society, we need to be aware that drinking water from plastic water bottles, getting takeaway food in plastic containers and, even worse, microwaving food in plastic containers contributes to things getting into There are areas in our bodies that should not be present. over there. And the penis is the only organ that everyone will pay attention to.”