The Ongoing Contamination Of Our Bodies: New Study Finds Microplastics In Testicles
Plus: Latest Federal Surveys Identifies Funding Challenges For Drinking Water Systems & More
Did you see the headline this week?
“Microplastics found in every human testicle in study”
It’s another huge cause for concern. The story published in The Guardian details findings in a new study, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences.
Scientists tested 23 human testes, as well as 47 testes from dogs. They found microplastic pollution in every sample. The researchers also said the discovery might correlate to declining sperm counts in men.
As a reminder: microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm in length.
The human testicles had a plastic concentration almost three times higher than that found in the dog testes: 330 micrograms per gram of tissue compared with 123 micrograms.
Polyethylene, used in plastic bags and bottles, was the most common microplastic found, followed by PVC, polyvinyl chloride, the world’s third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic. Almost 40 million tons of PVC are produced each year.
The human testicles in the study had been preserved and so their sperm count could not be measured. However, the sperm count in the dogs’ testes could be assessed and was lower in samples with higher contamination with PVC. Further research is needed to prove microplastics cause sperm counts to fall.
“At the beginning, I doubted whether microplastics could penetrate the reproductive system,” said Prof Xiaozhong Yu, at the University of New Mexico, one of the study researchers. “When I first received the results for dogs I was surprised. I was even more surprised when I received the results for humans.”
The testes analyzed were obtained from postmortems in 2016, with the men ranging in age from 16 to 88 when they died.
“The impact on the younger generation might be more concerning” now that there is more plastic than ever in the environment, according to Yu.
Sperm counts in men have been falling for decades, thanks to chemical pollution such as pesticides and PFAS. We wrote it about it here and here. Sperm counts have dropped almost 60 percent since 1973. And research has found that if we continue on this path that sperm counts could drop to zero by 2045. Zero!
Microplastics have also been discovered in human blood, placentas and breast milk, indicating widespread contamination of our bodies. We still have so much to learn about the impact of these tiny particles inside our bodies, but so far research has shown them to be harmful to human cells.
Where are microplastics coming from? The short answer is everywhere.
“The world is awash with plastic — 6 billion tons’ worth,” according to an editorial in Nature Medicine. “In 2019, 353 million tons of plastic waste were produced, with a tripling of that number to more than one billion tons predicted by 2060.”
Yes, everyone knows single-use plastics such as water bottles, wrappers, and bags are a problem. Most plastic waste gets dumped in landfills and released into the environment, causing significant environmental and health issues.
Here are some unexpected sources of plastic:
Did you know that many tea companies use bags made from plastic? Usually either nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A 2019 study at McGill University found that a single tea bag releases more than 11 billion microplastic and 3 billion nanoplastic particles when steeped in boiling water. Many coffee filters also contain plastic.
Wet wipes and baby wipes contain plastic. You have to specifically look for brands that are plastic-free and biodegradable.
More than 70 percent of sunscreens use microplastics as an ingredient in their formula.
Many receipts are printed on thermal paper, which is coated with a layer of plastic to give it a shiny finish. These kinds of receipts are non-recyclable.
Learn more here about shower gels, facial scrubs, mulch, and more.
On a Global Level
In April, the fourth session of talks by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution concluded in Ottawa, Canada. The intent of the committee is to develop an international, comprehensive, and legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. It would be the first attempt at combatting the global plastic crisis.
More than 2,500 delegates participated, representing 170 member states and more than 480 observer organizations including non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and UN entities. The meeting marked the committee’s largest and most inclusive gathering to date, with observer participation up by almost 50 percent.
“We know that plastic pollution does not recognize national boundaries,” INC chairman Luis Vayas Valdivieso from Ecuador said in an opening statement. “It does not pick and choose which locations or who to contaminate. We know that some regions, countries, and communities are especially vulnerable to plastic pollution.”
Countries are divided on the treaty’s scope, especially on whether it should mandate cutbacks in plastic production. A coalition led by Rwanda and Peru and supported by the European Union and Norway, voiced a strong demand for including production caps in the treaty to help avoid overproduction.
Rwanda’s chief negotiator, Juliet Kabera, emphasized that the current production rates far exceed global recycling and waste management capacities, posing severe environmental threats. At no surprise, major petrochemical producers like Saudi Arabia and China are not in favor of this approach, arguing for other practices such as improving waste management and redesigning plastic products for better recyclability.
“The message is clear: the world is counting on us to deliver a new treaty that will catalyze and guide the action and international cooperation needed to deliver a future free of plastic pollution. Let’s not fail them!” Valdivieso said.
The treaty’s success could be a landmark in international environmental law, potentially setting a precedent for how global governance can address complex, transboundary eco challenges.
The committee has an ambitious goal to complete its work by the end of 2024. Stay tuned…
It’s important to understand that some of the largest contributors to our plastic problem are corporations who profit from this toxic legacy.
The top global plastic polluters of 2023 are The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, Mondelēz International, Mars, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Danone, Altria, and British American Tobacco, according to an annual report from the Break Free From Plastic Movement.
“Top global plastic polluters” are defined as the parent companies whose brands were found polluting the most countries with the most plastic waste, according to the brand audit data. The study found that more than half of global branded plastic pollution can be tracked to just 56 companies.
The Coca-Cola Company maintains its position as the #1 top polluter for the 6th consecutive year, setting a new record with a total plastic waste count of 33,820, the highest tally for the company since the project's inception.
If you want to become more involved in this issue, check out the wonderful work by:
Beyond Plastics: https://www.beyondplastics.org/act
Break Free From Plastic: https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/take-action
NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101#avoid
U.S. Needs $1.3 Trillion for Water Infrastructure
A new EPA analysis shows a new $630 billion in necessary upgrades for U.S. wastewater and stormwater infrastructure over the next 20 years.
The 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey is the first update about the nation’s clean water infrastructure needs in a decade.
In September, the EPA released an updated needs assessment for drinking water systems, identifying $625 billion in needed improvements.
In total, drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems need at least $1.3 trillion in improvements for the next 20 years. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided about $50 billion in water infrastructure funding, meeting just 4 percent of those identified water needs. That’s a big gap!
Since 2012, infrastructure needs have increased by 73 percent, driven largely by aging infrastructure and climate change. Stormwater infrastructure needs have increased nearly five-fold over this same period, increasing from less than $24 million in 2012 to more than $115 million in 2022. The increasing frequency and intensity of storms are overloading outdated stormwater systems.
Know other ways to help with water systems or plastic pollution? Let us know in the comments below!
I am a little skeptical about the zero sperm count by 2045 statement. There could be a decaying exponential relationship that initially appears to follow a linear trend.
On another topic, I am frequently seeing ads from the soft drink manufacturers claiming that they are developing recyclable beverage containers, and cannot help but discount it as more of their lies. Even if it is true, they would have to provide a means for sorting their own bottles and bottle tops from the rest of the plastic waste. I am old enough to remember when there were no plastic bottles, and no single use plastics. It seems to me that if the soft drink industry was really interested in eliminating their plastic waste, they'd return to using glass containers.