Microplastics Have Invaded Human Penises

Scientists have found microplastics in human penises for the first time, as concerns over the tiny particles’ proliferation and potential health effects mount, Jack Guy reported for CNN.

Microplastics have also been found in human testicles.

Seven different kinds of microplastics were found in four out of five samples of penis tissue taken from five different men as part of a study published in IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal.

Study lead author Ranjith Ramasamy, an expert in reproductive urology who conducted the research while working at the University of Miami, told CNN that he used a previous study that found evidence of microplastics in the human heart as a basis for his research.

Microplastics have also been found in human testicles.

Ramasamy said he wasn’t surprised to find microplastics in the penis, as it is a “very vascular organ,” like the heart. Microplastics are polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) down 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 break down, either by chemically degrading or physically wearing down into smaller pieces, Sandee LaMotte also reported for CNN.

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