The latest discovery adds to growing worries about the impact of microplastics on human health. Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Researchers have found significant levels of microplastics in the testicular tissue of both humans and dogs, raising concerns about potential impacts on human reproductive health . In a new study, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences last week, scientists reported the discovery of 12 types of microplastics in 47 canine and 23 human testes.
The study reported these plastics were found in "all" tested human and canine testicle tissue samples. These extremely small pieces of plastic debris found in the environment is a result of the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste, including shopping bags and bottles. The University of New Mexico team also developed a new analytical method to measure the amount of microplastics in the tissue samples, which showed a correlation between certain types of plastic and reduced sperm count in the canine samples.
The discovery that such microplastics were able to enter the reproductive system was rather "surprising", according to team leader Xiaozhong "John" Yu, MD, PhD, MPH, a professor in the UNM College of Nursing. Yu, who researches the effects of various environmental factors on the human repr.