New study says there are microplastics in your balls

Looking at the research

The study examined the testicles of two dozen men, obtained from postmortems back in 2016. The men’s ages at the time of death were between 16 to 88. It also looked at the testes of 47 dogs that had been recently neutered.

The choice to investigate the presence of microplastics in the reproductive organs of dogs was based on these animals sharing a close-knit and similar environment to humans.

Right away, the research team discovered a vast range of microplastic types in both human and animal samples.

Polyethylene, also known as PE, was the most dominant plastic present. This is unsurprising, as this is the most commonly used plastic globally, making up product packaging, single-use bags, and a number of other household products.

This isn’t the price chart for Ethereum (ETHUSD) in the past 24 hours…it’s the amount of of microplastics in male testicles over the past decade. pic.twitter.com/OLqBT5YeLV

— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) May 21, 2024

Rather than manually counting the number of microplastic particles present, researchers dissolved the biological tissue of the testicles and separated the solids. In an astonishing finding, what was left was 75 percent plastic – an extremely high concentration.

Examining them up close, researchers noted that the microplastics’ shape was ‘shard-like’ and ‘stabby’ due to being broken up over time and ingested. They expressed worry over this, as tiny particles can impact the functionality of biological cells.

One of the researchers, John Yu, was surprised to find out that the male reproductive system had been impacted at all, considering the blood-tissue barrier around these organs is especially tight.

Yu also pointed out that microplastic exposure may be even worse for younger generations now that there is ‘more plastic than ever in the environment.’  He suspects similar findings would be revealed if female reproductive organs were investigated.

The news of microplastics in all human testicles has generated a lot more coverage than the news of microplastics in all human breast milk and all human placentas.

— David Wallace-Wells (@dwallacewells) May 24, 2024

What does this mean for fertility and reproduction?

A study from the University of Mexico found that microplastic concentrations in human testicles was three times higher than those found in dogs.

Scientists suspect that microplastics are finding their way into the reproductive system through the gut, latching onto fat particles that are metabolised and later released throughout the body.

This is happening without our knowledge, and the consequences of this process are still difficult to understand.

Chemicals used to create plastic indeed have the potential to disrupt cells and tissues in major organs, while also leaking endocrine-disrupting chemicals that could impact the human reproductive system by declining sperm count and reducing fertility in women.

However, scientists are quick to remind us that these studies remain in their early stages and require more research in order to draw any concrete conclusions.

What can be gathered from these revelations is that more action is needed to reduce and eventually eliminate plastic production from society. Plastic may be convenient for a moment, but once thrown away, it becomes a forever problem.