Two Australian researchers from the University of Melbourne, Andrew Pask and Mark Green, claim that certain chemicals found in plastics are responsible for the size of the male genitalia being reduced and that more and more males are born with defects in that organ.
Image: ElizaC3/Flick/Ryan F. Mandelbaum
According to The Sydney Morning Herald , the researchers based their findings on the study of animals exposed to these chemicals, as well as the analysis of human data showing that rates of hypospadias which is a congenital anomaly of the penis, have increased twice in Australia.
According to Pask, the chemicals that can affect humans in such a way are BPA, phthalates (both are used in plastics), parabens (in toothpastes and beauty products) and atrazine (a herbicide). “Exposure to these chemicals is the number one reproductive problem for men,” the researcher was quoted as saying.
“When rates are doubling, they can not be genetic defects: they take years to spread through a population, so we know that it has to be from environmental origin,” Pask said.
Also, the scientist points to studies that show that exposure to chemicals known as endocrine disruptors can reduce the size of the penis, although there is still no data at the population level to support this link.
The article highlights that the regulators of the country’s government discard this relationship between chemicals and human health, while other scientists say that it is possible that it exists. Some plastics, according to the written account, can release chemicals that resemble human sex hormones. In animal studies, exposure to them can cause reproductive problems, while at the moment it has not been shown to affect humans.
