Microplastic pollution has been discovered in human testicles, potentially contributing to declining sperm counts in men, according to a report by the Guardian. The study found microplastic pollution in every sample tested. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico in the United States, involved testing 23 human and 47 dog testes. It was published on May 15 in the Toxicological Sciences journal.
Xiaozhong Yu, one of the authors of the study and professor at the University of New Mexico, told the Guardian that he was surprised by the findings. “At the beginning, I doubted whether microplastics could penetrate the reproductive system. When I first received the results for dogs, I was surprised. I was even more surprised when I received the results for humans.”
The human testicles were preserved, preventing measurement of sperm count. However, the dog testes showed lower sperm counts in samples with higher PVC contamination, per the report. The study thus indicated a “possible link” between microplastics and reduced sperm counts while noting that further research is needed to confirm this theory.
On the likely impact on sperm count, Professor Yu said, “Microplastics can release a lot of chemicals that interfere with spermatogenesis, and it contains chemicals that cause endocrine disruption.” Notably, sperm counts in men have been decreasing for decades, with chemical pollution, including pesticides, often blamed. However, microplastics have recently been detected in human blood, placentas, and breast milk, suggesting widespread contamination.
While the health impacts are not fully understood, lab studies have shown microplastics can damage human cells. The study noted that microplastics are ubiquitous, found from Mount Everest’s peak to the ocean’s depths, and people ingest and inhale these particles daily. These microplastics may then lodge in tissues and cause inflammation or chemicals in the plastics might harm them.
In March, doctors also linked microscopic plastics in blood vessels to higher risks of stroke, heart attack, and early death, the report said. The research, titled ‘Microplastic presence in dog and human testis and its potential association with sperm count and weights of testis and epididymis Get access Arrow’, involved studying dissolved tissue samples to analyse the remaining plastics.
The samples were from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, which routinely collected human testes, which were analysed after a seven-year storage period. Notably, a smaller 2023 study in China also detected microplastics in six human testes and 30 semen samples. Recent mouse studies have shown that microplastics can reduce sperm count and cause abnormalities and hormone disruptions.
