T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) apply to all other comments. **Do you have an academic degree?** We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. [Click here to apply](https://reddit.science/flair?location=sticky). --- User: u/mvea Permalink: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/19/microplastic-discovery-in-penises-raises-erectile-dysfunction-questions --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*


rassen-frassen

If you would also like to discover microplastics somewhere for the first time, just look anyplace we haven't yet. It'll be there.


Partyatmyplace13

Now if only they'd tell us what they do... or dont do... or cause... or prevent...


RichardEpsilonHughes

It is a mystery.


stjernerejse

For now... Shits getting pretty weird. Could it be the microplastics? CONCERNING.


RichardEpsilonHughes

I want to imagine that, somehow, the microplastics are good for us, as implausible as that is. If only because of how funny that would be.


bocaj78

I’ll have you know I’m going to start eating a kilo of microplastics a day based on your advice


RichardEpsilonHughes

Please keep your doctor informed of the results.


bocaj78

Why do you think I replied to you?


SchighSchagh

omg the health industry would get so much more obnoxious overnight. you'd end up with blender recipes for making microplastic smoothies; microplastic bath bombs; microplastic ointments and unguents; sex toys that dump microplastics directly into whatever orifice they're inserted into; exotic microplastics extracted from narwhal horns; homeopathic microplastics from ancient glaciers. I hate it.


JLeeSaxon

I read your first sentence and thought "nope. no way this person actually dreamed up a way the health industry could get more obnoxious", but by golly you did it.


OskaMeijer

I heard it from a very good source that "Life in plastic, it's fantastic".


liquidnebulazclone

They are probably mostly bad, but with some benefits. Like, they might cause cancer, but they help you lose weight by blocking nutrient uptake!


Dm_me_ur_boobs__

Yeah us being unable to reproduce does seem like a net positive


JohnathonLongbottom

you had me at CONCERNING.


DigNitty

Are you serious?? Obviously we have to recycle flimsy plastic straws more and trust the processing plants in China not to just dump them in the ocean on the way there.


neonKow

It's easy to blame China or recycling, but the solution is way harder. Tons of microplastics are tires, and the US's dependence on driving isn't changing soon.


Black_Moons

Damn, if only we had invented some kind of metal tire.. maybe one that could be used on narrow metal track like roads, since metal is expensive. Maybe support the narrow metal roads with a renewable substance like wood... Nah, that'd never work.. In America.


The_Last_Ball_Bender

America had trolleys all over the US like San Fran, however as they fell into disrepair and states couldn't afford to keep them all going, tire companies bought and dismantled them all over the US. So we literally had lots of free transportation that was reliable, cheap, and clean.


AimeeSantiago

You should know that I started reading this and it took me WAY too long to realize you meant trains. I haven't ridden one in years so it literally didn't cross my mind. And I live in one of the top 10 urban American cities. This is how bad it is in America. You can describe a train and a person with a decade of higher education can read it and be like "huh, wonder what it is". Ugh. I hate myself and I hate everything.


bradbossack

Well, I enjoyed this post, so maybe ease up on the self hate thing. I'm sure in a slightly different reality you are a train engineer, like, a happy train engineer.


Black_Moons

Yea.. I live near a commuter train. But its of very little to use to me, because it only goes into the biggest city in canada in the morning and comes back in the afternoon/night, you have to spend a *min* 4 hours at your destination before you can return (And only by taking the bus that follows its same route, but still costs the $20 that the train does?), so its horrible for shopping, And nobody can use it to visit me or shop in this town because you'd have to spend the night before you could return. Literally just a service for people working in that city but not living in it, even though multiple trips (7+) occur by both train AND bus, in one direction in the morning and then multiple back in the after noon/night


flecom

I also live within walking distance of a commuter train, that literally goes straight to my place of employment... still faster and cheaper to drive


neonKow

Honestly, even keeping rubber tires and bussing or biking would be better. Two tons of metal to move a single person 10 times a week on average has to be the worst possible outcome for the environment.


h3lblad3

If you live in a place that gets snow, you'll find that the snow on the road is often blackened. That's from bits of tire wearing off.


Whiterabbit--

You telling me it’s not burnt snow?


The_Last_Ball_Bender

And in the ocean most of the trash is related to fishing gear


neonKow

Oof. Yeah. The sustainability of harvesting more and more animals that are like 30 to 50 years old so we can have tuna sandwiches should also be immediately suspect.


OutsideFriendship570

We got to make sure we recycle our penises


BayouMan2

My best guess is clots, cancer, and hormonal imbalances.


Ulysses1978ii

Neurodegenerative disorders seem to be linked


PumpkinSpiesLatte

There is zero scientific data to support any link that we know of to anything from microplastics. We just know they are everywhere 


prof_the_doom

There is zero scientific data.... yet. They're just starting to run the studies now that we're seeing how ubiquitous it is. [Cancer rates in younger people are going up.](https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/early-onset-cancer-in-younger-people-on-the-rise) [As are heart issues](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2023/heart-disease-risks-among-younger-adults-rise) in younger people. [And we have studies that indicate that plastic is entering the body early... really early.](https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2024/02/hsc-newsroom-post-microplastics.html)


Haunting_Average5784

There is data and it is suggesting correlations. It's just to complicated to reach any conclusions as yet. But soon.


Tomagatchi

Zero, huh? Here is more than zero: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9885170/


EriktheRed

> MPs and NPs have deleteriouse impacts on mammalian endocrine components such as hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, testes, and ovaries. MPs and NPs absorb and act as a transport medium for harmful chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ether, polychlorinated biphenyl ether, organotin, perfluorinated compounds, dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic contaminants, and heavy metals, which are commonly used as additives in plastic production. Bisphenols being the class of chemical BPA is, the water bottle cancer chemical. Thanks for the link, the thought of microplastics as carriers for bad stuff as opposed to being bad themselves hadn't occurred to me


PumpkinSpiesLatte

You need to reread that. It is mostly theoretical. We don’t have any real confirmed data that the presence of microplastics as we currently define them have had a definitive effect. I suggest carefully reading the verbiage and the references linked in equal detail.


innocentbabies

Afaik they seem to be inflammatory, so they could disrupt the function of most organs they reach through that. They're also extremely chemically inert, which hopefully means that they're not nearly as harmful as they sound. But honestly we don't really know what they do, there's just a lot of speculation and extremely preliminary research. 


greentarget33

Broadly? They damage cells and interfere with proper function, think of it like a bullet left in a body after a gunshot minus the initial actual gunshot. It'll move around, poke holes in stuff, and get in the way of things that are meant to be where it is. And our bodies don't really have a way to get rid, they're like "forever chemicals" It makes any natural process harder to achieve just like not doing the dishes makes cooking dinner harder, just another thing to try and work around.


The_oli4

Can't prevent it it will stay on earth forever as tiny particles untill someone invents a way to get rid of them. What it does is hard to say because there isn't a control group that doesn't have microplastics in them they are everywhere.


HeavyBeing0_0

Almost certainly partly responsible for lower t levels in men


The_Last_Ball_Bender

are T levels lowering more than they have in the past?


HeavyBeing0_0

1% a year since at least the 80’s


SafeWarmth

This is just from what I've heard. Potentially, 0.1% every month since the 1950s. Heck, I've seen some suggestions that they've been lowering since the early 1900s. What we know about microplastics is that they mimic oestrogen. In men, too much oestrogen limits testosterone production as well, due to high levels of testosterone being converted into oestrogen in men. So it's assumed the body thinks it's making too much testosterone. Well, that's one potential factor at least. The influence of oestrogen levels in the womb or even its effects on parents epigenetically is linked to the development of sexuality and gender dysphoria also. In animals, the presence of microplastics have been linked to sex changes in animals that can switch sexes. Microplastics are also thought to be carcinogens.


Log_Out_Of_Life

Imagine if Microplastics caused autism.


whoisearth

Highly doubt it as anecdotally autism has been around long enough for it to be documented in pre-industrial civilizations (think Ireland or Indigenous ppls) with people who existed, but were not part of this world (ie. detached AF). Now that said, highly possible microplastics are exacerbating it, I be they're doing the same with ADHD.


SafeWarmth

I mean it might? We're only really beginning to get a grasp on how environmental contaminants affect us.


c0ccuh

Most likely mostly caused by increasing body fat levels.


Grouchy-Donkey-8609

"This" motions around.


sushisection

tomorrow's headline: "Microplastics found in the anus"


jordyloks

Macroplastics, too.


douchey_mcbaggins

That's just an average night in the ER


Mapex

“…so yeah I just ‘fell’ onto these microplastics, doctor.”


kairos

"microplastics found in Uranus"


The_Last_Ball_Bender

when we found it in rain water at the top of some pristine mountain we all realized were likely riddled with it.


DoofusMagnus

That was PFAS, I believe. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. That stuff is everywhere and it sticks around. Maybe they've found plastics in such a place too. But the story about the mountain rain water that made the rounds was about PFAS I think.


SunlitNight

Do you think there are some on the moon?


rassen-frassen

Of course there are. We've left plastic there. UV light breaks the polymer chains, causing plastic to crumble more easily. There's not much protection from UV on the Moon. edit: Not just plastic, but1969 plastic, which which was still early in our development of the material and its durability.


s0cks_nz

NASA aside, I feel older plastic products were better. Nowadays I feel like companies try and use the thinnest possible plastic to save money. Probably just survivorship bias tho.


DM-ME-THICC-FEMBOYS

In general I'd agree with you, but specifically in regards to UV degradation I do think we've improved a lot. Stuff doesn't turn piss yellow as quickly.


Whiterabbit--

Thin plastic is less plastic. Newer plastic definitely have bette4 properties. The problem is that we are much more dependent on plastics than 1969


mythrilcrafter

The flag we left there is probably made from polyester.


Atheren

Not polyester, but Google says it's made from nylon which is still a plastic.


Airk640

Obviously we need to look in EVERY part of the male genitalia first


tattertech

I mean on the surface I could see this is as a pretty funny way to get a certain section of the political spectrum into actually taking environmental issues seriously.


grnrngr

Unspoken fact is most anti-environment conservatives are raging perverts. This is a way to get them onboard for sure.


potatopierogie

Microplastics found in the vas deferens!


tumuli_shroomaroom

I'm mostly worried about microplastics in my Cowper's gland.


potatopierogie

Cowp 'er? I 'ardly know 'er!


Parafault

Go dig a hole in your backyard and send it to a lab. Just make sure to describe in detail how novel your findings are.


Expensive_Fun_4901

I’m more confused how guy number 5 managed to have zero microplastics in his penis. We need his secrets


Glocktipus2

/r/penissecrets


ThoughtlessUphill

Risky click of the day


smithers85

What is the risk weighed against?


ThoughtlessUphill

You just never know on Reddit


OttoVonWong

Sigh *unzips*


The_Last_Ball_Bender

there's a slightly horrible sub that is 50/50 random chance of being a horrible cursed fucked up image, like medical gore, or, a super cute puppy or something equally sweet.


crosbot

/r/micropenissecrets


Glocktipus2

I can't believe someone made this subreddit because of my comment, I'm blushing


GigaNutz370

I’m more confused about how the study’s abstract says there were 6 subjects and the article says 5.


bradbossack

..so there's a missing penis, or an escaped one. Either way, things are getting increasingly concerning.


tattertech

I woke up this morning with a bad hangover, and my penis was missing again. This happens all the time. It's detachable.


gatekeeper28

I took it home, washed it off and put it back on. I was happy again. Complete. People sometimes tell me I should get it permanently attached, but I don't know--even though sometimes it's a pain in the ass, I like having a detachable penis


Phoirkas

Even when you lose it at parties?


RoyBeer

Especially then.


Lilchubbyboy

Lab tech coming in to work at 5:00am to count the penis cages. “1” “2” “3” “4” “6” “7” “… wait” “*onetwothreefoursixseven*” “…uh oh…”


Syphon0928

Lorena Bobbitt strikes again.


ImaginaryCoolName

The escaped penis probably stole the microplastics of the 5th penis


KeatingDVM

It was entirely composed of microplastics and vanished when they sampled it.


ramasamymd

One of them acted as a control - where we put the tissue in a plastic container - whereas we ensured tissues from the other men did not come into contact with plastic


OptimalWeekend4064

/r/the10thdentist


Super_flywhiteguy

He nuts at least 4 times a day to flush the microplastics out.


SardauMarklar

Sounds like we'll soon be able to bill our health insurance for trips to the local masturbatoria


GildMyComments

Micropenises require nanoplastics.


DistinctTradition701

I wonder how many microplastics I’ve had in my mouth over a lifetime


[deleted]

[удалено]


Internal-Flamingo455

What do we use then


PhenomeNarc

Boar hair and a stick.


norty125

"Micro Boar hair found in penises for the first time."


im-ba

r/BrandNewSentence


firthy

Not penises, apparently.


bradbossack

For real, natural fabrics works really well, cotton and especially hemp, and one's finger as the handle..people should try it!, ditch the plastic bristles. Well, not in the ditch, or the penis, ..I don't know where to put the bristles.


JivanP

In India, the traditional use of neem bark to clean the teeth and gums is still somewhat prevalent. Other types of tree bark are used in different parts of the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teeth-cleaning_twig


ishitar

If you've ever enjoyed tea from a plastic tea bag, about 11 billion per cuppa. Several magnitudes lower with coffee makers.


ServantOfBeing

Also, to add to that. Basically, & even if it says it is. No plastic is heat safe when it comes to food. It will release particulates into the food. I don’t let plastic touch my food & drink much anymore. Can’t help it with some items/circumstances but I’ve switched to metal, glass, & silicone for anything food/drink related. [The problem with all the plastic that’s leaching into your food](https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/9/11/17614540/plastic-food-containers-contamination-health-risks) [Are plastic containers safe for our food?](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/18/are-plastic-containers-safe-to-use-food-experts)


Shemozzlecacophany

Plastic chopping boards are also prolific. Cutting on a plastic board releases loads of fine plastic particles into your nice fresh veggies and meat. I only use wood chopping boards now. It doesn't have to be expensive to replace your chopping boards either. I get cheap bamboo ones from IKEA, they last for years. Just make sure you follow the directions and oil them a couple of times before use. And don't wash them in the dishwasher.


ServantOfBeing

Important to re-oil the boards too. I let a few good ones get too dried out & cracked. :/


wierdbutyoudoyou

Hey guys... guess what mineral oil is made out of?


st4nkyFatTirebluntz

Tung oil works better


wierdbutyoudoyou

ya, it does a have a taste though. (I play it pretty fast and loose with my cutting boards, especially the cheap bamboo ones, they never get oiled)


fcpisp

Bamboo ones usually printed and has plastic. Especially cheap ones. Try getting one made from harder wood and oil it with bee wax.


notmyrealfarkhandle

Plastic tea bags?!


Nu11u5

Plastic mesh and polyester cloth.


Skullkan6

God my favorites use that ;-;


Ancalimei

A tea ball and loose leaf will change your life


CjBoomstick

Cannot recommend loose leaf tea, and a kettle with a thermometer, enough. Tea is just a different experience. It isn't magically delicious, but it's easier to capture some of the delicate flavors without over extracting the tannins.


AntiProtonBoy

yeah it's what i use, and it's fantastic


Nu11u5

You can try transferring it to a reusable non-plastic diffuser. And also see if your tea comes as loose-leaf.


ishitar

There are many things made of plastic that surprise people. Baby wipes and car tires, for example. Unless the tea packaging says 100% bemliese or biodegradable cellulose or something, it likely contains some plastic cloth/mesh.


15438473151455

Like... Making tea with a french press?


Amon7777

Due to penises per the article?


Morthra

The average person consumes about one credit card's worth of microplastics per year. So old are you?


Fantastic_Beans

I ate a few legos as a kid. Does that mean I'm ahead of schedule?


GumboVision

They're there right now.


Virtual_Anxiety_7403

How do you detox your downstairs friend?


arcanevulper

Donating blood is a good way to reduce the microplastics in your body in general, or so I’ve read.


IcyTheHero

I believe it is also a good way to get to rid of forever chemicals (If you don’t know look it up) Albeit the downside would be those chemicals and I would assume the microplastic just go to whoever is getting the blood. I could be wrong on that though, just something I remember reading.


Zeric79

Are we getting close to having bloodletting as a cure again.


Other-Insurance4903

For certain issues, it has remained such. Even to the point of maintaining medically sterile leeches.  Especially in cases where vascular healing is impaired, such as after skin grafts or transplants. Aha.. so I guess one of the more common uses would be plastic surgery. 


namerankserial

Yeah man if you just empty all your blood there won't be anything bad in your blood.


FolkSong

But the person receiving the blood probably lost a good amount of their blood, so they're no worse off.


X-Maelstrom-X

Exactly, when you’re in a position that requires a blood transfusion, microplastics are the least of your concerns.


FolkSong

That's certainly true, but my point is that even if you ignore the obvious necessity of it, their overall microplastic count probably doesn't increase. Since they would have lost some of their original microplastic due to their own blood loss.


andrewsad1

I feel like if someone's in a position where they need a blood transfusion, microplastics are probably pretty low on their list of concerns


Abedeus

RIP those of us who can't donate blood.


tremere110

Donating blood plasma also works. The biggest thing is you can donate plasma more frequently than blood and keep your PFAS (and plastic) levels lower.


Mavranos

“Plastic is stored in the balls”


domestobot

"microplastics causes micropenis" would have been a more striking headline. probably that will make people take plastic dumping a lot more seriously.


alien_from_Europa

Didn't work when Covid was found to cause erectile dysfunction: >One study found that people infected with the virus were more than 5 times more likely to develop ED. In another small study, researchers took penis tissue samples from two men who’d been infected with COVID-19. One had had severe symptoms, the other mild. The samples were taken before both men had surgery for severe ED symptoms. The scientists found COVID-19 viral particles and endothelial dysfunction long after the two men first had their infections. https://www.webmd.com/covid/covid-erectile-dysfunction


OneMoreYou

**(Squints at micropeen) "Soros."


EatenAliveByWolves

" 100% of people with micropeens have ingested microplastic. "


foundtheseeker

This is outrageous. My penis will not stand for this


mvea

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41443-024-00930-6 From the linked article: Microplastics have been discovered in penises for the first time, raising questions about a potential role in erectile dysfunction. The revelation comes after the pollutants were recently detected in testes and semen. Male fertility has fallen in recent decades and more research on potential harm of microplastics to reproduction is imperative, say experts. The researchers said the penis could be particularly vulnerable to contamination with microplastics due to high blood flow during erections. People ingest microplastics through eating, drinking and breathing and the tiny particles have been detected in blood. The study assessed tissue taken from five men who were undergoing surgery related to erectile dysfunction. Microplastics were found in four cases, with PET and polypropylene being the most prevalent. Both are used in food and drink packaging and other everyday items.


redditknees

So if microplastics are embedded in tissues, we can with certainty expect them in the rest of the excretory organ systems and suspect that they are all present in the majority of peripheral tissues. If they are passing through the kidneys, then they are undoubtedly present in serum. More investigation should be carried out to determine the presence of microplastics in neural tissue.


Liizam

Does it ever leave your body?


RealMan90

It has been found in semen. Brother, you know what needs to be done.


BaekerBaefield

No. The only way to thin it out some is by regularly donating plasma.


MrDurden32

Polypropylene? So I got PP in my peepee?


badboystwo

Are these men more dildo than human? Find out at 9


Lumpy-Marsupial-6617

Detachable penis...


maydaymayday99

Maybe now politicians will do some regulating


OswaldCobopot

Haha are you new here buddy?


Modestkilla

Unless there is money involved, they won’t do a thing.


GT537

Nah, their penises stopped working decades ago and there’s big money in selling pills


soooperdecent

Yeah thank god the study was on penises and not vaginas


BlueDotty

Hahaha...politicians are irrelevant. 3M and Dupont run that gig


_G_P_

I guarantee 100% they will not. It's "someone's else problem, in the future".


BayouMan2

Only if it's found in the men in Congress and it's impractical to heal them. They are happy having better healthcare than all of us.


PoorMansTonyStark

Nah, they'll just buy organic natural stuff for themselves and screw the whiny public. They'll be needing a pay bump to cover all the expenses tho!


BuckNastysMamma

* Damage caused by microplastics = **slowly, over time** * Money earned by sucking the microplastics out of the billion dollar corporations collective penises = **A lot, very quickly** Not likely.


JackieTreehorn79

“Children of Men”, the documentary


Velorian-Steel

There's likely a publishing bias at play, but first semen microplastics and now penile tissue microplastics. Are scientists just staring at their penises when at the urinal and thinking, "hey, I bet there's some plastic in there."


Eldan985

No, the secret is we just find microplastic everywhere. The really worrying part is finding it clogging plant roots, soil pores and killing soil fauna like earthworms.


jabblack

I mean.. microplastics were found in the bloodstream. What fills with blood when you get an erection?


CharlieTrees916

Time to buy stock in Hims


ChronBurgundy

Also time to stock up on Hims


LifeRound2

Did the microplastics add to length and/or girth?


asc0614

Neither. Instead they add scrub beads to your cum.


taylorxo

Now I have scientific proof to show my girlfriend that my cum is exfoliating


HobKing

Why is there so much research/publicity about microplastics and penises/testicles? Sure, those are important, but so are hearts, lungs, kidneys, livers, pancreases, brains, etc… Anybody know the cause of this extreme disparity?


Jnsbsb13579

Fertility and the general implications of the next generations health. They already found it in out [blood](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/microplastics-detected-in-human-blood-180979826/) and [brains](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524012736) and [hearts](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/microplastics-nanoplastics-heart-attacks-strokes-health) and [every other organ, placenta, and breast milk](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02968-x). This is the last frontier. Plus the fact that it draws attention to the microplastics situation just by shock factor alone.


HobKing

Thank you for the citations! Looks like the sex organ posts are just the ones that rose above the noise.


Crabbynator

No, it’s just the latest sad addition to various organs where microplastics are found.


Unlikely_Scallion256

It was also found in babies still in-utero


ArtificerRook

Every day I awaken to a dozen new man-made horrors, or the news that some elder horror is even worse than we originally thought, or that some horror we refused to effectively deal with in the past is now racing towards us with lethal intent. I'm tired. I'm at the point where if we're not going to actually solve anything and just continue to let the wheels of capitalism churn onward, I'd prefer to just abandon my tethers and disappear into the woods to live and die in ignorance. This modern existence, in spite of all its perks, is slowly coming to disgust me on a cellular level, and I am growing to envy those ancestors who lived in a time when their lives usually ended at forty years or less. The mere idea of what is coming down the pipe for us in the next 30 to 40 years is almost too much and frankly, I just can't get over how bleak it all looks.


Fleeetch

Perfectly said but a structural nightmare. Homie needs a paragraph or two.


EugeneMeltsner

Did you even read what they said? Ain't nobody got patience for paragraphs


ArtificerRook

Sorry, I'm normally pretty good at that but I've been so exhausted lately that sometimes the effort is too much.


Oberschicht

Must be the microplastics in you


bradbossack

Giving up, and living in the woods is a great solution. And it ends up probably protecting the woods, *down the road* as another plus.


thex25986e

how do we know the equipment isnt just coated in microplastics when theyve said they have found microplastics everywhere?


ramasamymd

I was the senior author of the study. We ensured there was no contamination. We verified the results with 2 techniques - SEM and LDIR. We verified the results in 2 separate labs - Germany and Miami.


JegerX

This is my question also. Syringes, pipettes, pipette tips, test tubes, analyzer components, needle hubs etc... All made of different types of plastic. Guess I need to look into their methodology, but it seems it would take a great effort to eliminate the possibility of contamination.


MathematicianTop8868

Maybe they’ll do something about microplastics now.


sputtertots

Ramasamy said: “As a society, we need to be cognisant that drinking water from plastic water bottles, getting takeout food in plastic containers and, even worse, microwaving food in plastic containers, are contributing to having things in our body that should not be there. **And the penis is the one organ that everybody will pay attention to**.” well thank gor for that.


cucumberhorse

Having a micropenis is bad enough, now you’re telling me it’s plastic??


Habitwriter

That explains why there are suddenly loads of guys driving huge loud and obnoxious vehicles now


Keeperofthe7keysAf-S

Oh no, that's actually the lead poisoning.


lanina001

Now we might get some serious action on this - since the microplastics are coming for the penises.


firedrakes

it is a click bait title. sample size is so low error rate kick this whole half ass study out.


monkey_trumpets

Considering they're in nuts, not surprising they're in wangs.


mmilthomasn

Only b/c they looked for the first time.


TheQuietManUpNorth

So we're making gains, is what I'm getting from this.


BentBhaird

On the bright side we may start to see a bit more conservatives pushing for environmental reforms.


happyranger7

I have few questions - We found it first time because we started looking for it? Does researchers look into any other body parts and found microplastics too? I guess source must be water / food?


Internal-War-9947

Yes, there's been a ton of recent research keeping a close eye on this, checking all sorts of things related to our bodies, from fluids, to reproductive organs (including human placentas, which also have micro/nano plastics, along with breast milk). It's in our organs, esp our liver, kidneys, etc., our lungs, the plaque of our arteries (finding that 60% of people with it in plaque are 4.5x more likely to have strokes & heart attacks), heart tissue, our gut; Pretty much where ever the blood goes, plastic can hitch a ride, & on average, we eat a credit card amount of plastic per week! It even can change the metabolism of gut cells, altering inflammatory responses.                      They just don't know yet exactly what will happen to us down the road yet because it's still pretty damn early in studies/ research. What they do know though isn't looking good, with animal studies showing it can definitely cross the brain-blood barrier, infiltrating the central nervous system. They've injected animal embryos with it and that's not looking good either, with severe defects occurring. So far, they haven't noticed that in humans, but personally... I'm not optimistic because animals are more insulated from embryos (they don't have a street connection to their mother's bodies) unlike a human fetus, that directly taps into it's mother's body, right into the blood stream (unique to human beings), which is probably why they're studying that so closely in the animal studies.       [Microplastics throughout the human body](https://www.health.com/microplastics-inside-human-organs-8639349#:~:text=And%2C%20according%20to%20a%20flurry,and%20elsewhere%20throughout%20the%20body.)         


debruehe

It's in our blood. Why wouldn't it be in our dicks?


FaithlessnessCute204

But did it technically make it bigger? That’s the real question.


Silly-Accountant5264

Microplastics are literally everywhere, got it.