Scientists have discovered microplastics in human penises for the first time, raising concerns about the proliferation and potential health effects of these tiny particles. A study published in IJIR:
Your Sexual Medicine Journal on Wednesday found seven different kinds of microplastics in four out of five samples of penile tissue taken from five men.
Microplastics, which are polymer fragments ranging from less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) to as small as 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer), form when larger plastics break down. Anything smaller is classified as nanoplastic and measured in billionths of a meter.
Experts warn that some tiny particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, and evidence is growing that they are increasingly present in our bodies.
Ranjith Ramasamy, the study’s lead author and a reproductive urology expert who conducted the research at the University of Miami, told CNN that his study was inspired by previous research that found microplastics in the human heart. Ramasamy noted he was not surprised to find microplastics in the penis, describing it as a “very vascular organ,” similar to the heart.
The samples were collected from men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED) who were undergoing surgery for penile implants at the University of Miami between August and September 2023.
Chemical imaging analysis revealed microplastics in the penile tissue of four of the five men, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) being the most common.
Ramasamy emphasized the need for further research to explore potential links between the presence of microplastics and conditions such as ED.
“We need to identify whether microplastics are linked to ED and if there is a level beyond which it causes pathology and what types of microplastics are pathologic,” he said.
As for the wider implications of the findings, Ramasamy said he hoped the study would “create more awareness about the presence of foreign bodies within human organs and foster more research surrounding this topic.”
