Microplastics used in food packaging could make their way into the penis and cause sexual problems, experts have warned.
The discovery was made by researchers who examined the penile tissue of men undergoing erectile dysfunction surgery, and found the tiny particles in eight in ten samples.
They labelled the discovery ‘concerning’ and claimed that microplastics could affect the muscle function of the penis.
Microplastics are plastic fragments as small as two micrometres, or two-thousandths of a millimeter.
These particles make their way into food, water supplies and even into the air when plastic products degrade naturally.
The particles, as small as just two micrometres or two thousandths of a millimetre, have long been detected in air, water and food around us. But US scientists, 비닉스필름구매 who assessed the tissue of men who had undergone erectile dysfunction surgery, found seven different types in 80 per cent of samples taken
Recent studies have identified microplastics in human lung tissue, in maternal and fetal placental tissues, in human breast milk and in human blood.
A growing body of research has already linked them to the development of cancer, heart disease and dementia and even lower-quality sperm.
Dr Ranjith Ramasamy, co-author of the latest study and former director of reproductive urology at the University of Miami, said: ‘The penis is a vascular, spongy organ so is definitely vulnerable.
‘During an erection, a fifth of the blood volume in the whole body gets pumped to the penis.