Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found, according to CNN.
“These plastics are often nano-scale, typically less than half a micron in length and maybe like 20 to 200 nanometers in width,” said toxicologist Matthew Campen, coauthor of the study that published May 15 in the journal Toxicological Sciences.
“They look like little shards, tiny broken bits from very, very old plastics,” said Campen, a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
“This is an eyes wide open situation right now,” Campen said. “We’re just now realizing how much plastic is in our bodies. We need a surge of research around this topic to confirm or deny a role for microplastics in driving infertility, testicular cancer and other cancers.”
The CNN report also said that there are steps one can take to reduce exposure to phthalates and other chemicals in food and food packaging products, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement on food additives and children’s health.
“One is to reduce our plastic footprint by using stainless steel and glass containers, when possible,” said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, in a prior interview with CNN.
“Avoid microwaving food or beverages in plastic, including infant formula and pumped human milk, and don’t put plastic in the dishwasher, because the heat can cause chemicals to leach out,” said Trasande, who is also the lead author for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement on food additives and children’s health.
“Look at the recycling code on the bottom of products to find the plastic type, and avoid plastics with recycling codes 3, which typically contain phthalates,” he added.
