Le microplastiche nel pene causano la disfunzione erettile?

>**Microplastics have been discovered in [human] penises for the first time**, raising questions about their possible role in erectile dysfunction. The revelation comes after the contaminants were recently found in testicles and semen.

>The study looked at tissue from five men who underwent surgery for erectile dysfunction. Microplastics were found in four cases, with PET and polypropylene being the most common. Both are used in food and beverage packaging and other everyday products.

>Men’s sperm counts have been declining for decades, and 40 percent of those low numbers remain unexplained. A lot of research now points to a possible link with chemical pollution. **Recent studies in mice have shown that microplastics reduce sperm count and cause abnormalities and hormone disruptions.**

>According to the researchers, the penis could be extra vulnerable to pollution by microplastics due to the increased blood flow during an erection. […] “During an erection, one-fifth of the blood volume in the entire body is pumped to the penis.”

>**”As a society we need to be aware that drinking water from plastic bottles, takeaway food in plastic containers and, even worse, heating food in plastic containers in the microwave, all contribute to having substances in our bodies that don’t belong there.”**