Plastic waste accumulating in water bodies is a leading cause of concern at present. It is often injested through air, water or food. And these particles can lodge in the tissues and inflame them. Some experts also associate accumulation of microplastics in the body with a heightened risk of heart attack, stroke or early death.
For this, testes were analysed from from postmortems that were conducted in 2016 in men aged 16 to 88 at death.
New Delhi: According to a new study published in Toxicological Sciences, microplastics have been detected in human testicles and it is now being associated with declining sperm count in men. For this, scientists evaluated 23 human testes and 47 testes of pet dogs and discovered microplastic pollution in all samples. The human testes were preserved which is why their sperm count could not be measured. But in dogs, sperm count was lower with high contamination. This establishes a link between the two, however, researchers call for more research in the area to ascertain whether or not microplastics could deplete sperm count. Elon Musk, too, posted about the same on X (formerly Twitter).
Testing Grok news funny mode
https://t.co/1LpjGGfT8l— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2024
Can microplastics enter the reproductive system?
Researchers also found that men’s sperm count has been declining for decades due to chemical pollution like pesticides. But stress also takes the blame for the same along with poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Microplastics have also been discovered in breast milk, blood, placenta and it is indicative of a heightened risk of contamination at a large scale. While the health effects of the same are rather unexplored, lab studies show that microplastics can damage human cells.
Plastic waste accumulating in water bodies is a leading cause of concern at present. It is often injested through air, water or food. And these particles can lodge in the tissues and inflame them. Some experts also associate accumulation of microplastics in the body with a heightened risk of heart attack, stroke or early death, especially if the blood vessels get contaminated. Researchers said that at the start of the study, they were unsure of whether microplastics can penetrate the reproductive system. However, this study debunked that myth as well.
How do microplastics affect health?
For this, testes were analysed from from postmortems that were conducted in 2016 in men aged 16 to 88 at death. The effects of this are more likely to be worse in young people seeing as there is more plastic in the environment than ever before. The study is also looking at dissolving tissue samples and analysing the remaining plastic. Human testes were found to contain thrice as much plastic concentration that what was found in dog testes – 330mcg as opposed to 123mcg in dogs. The most common plastic found was the one used in bottles and plastic bags.
Researchers said that PVC can release chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine system and spermatogenesis. The human testes were collected by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator and available after seven-year storage norms, after which samples are usually discarged. A smaller study in China in 2023 discovered microplastics in 30 semen samples, and six human testes. Recent studies also found that microplastics can reduce sperm count and adversely affect hormone levels in the body.
Follow us on social media
