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The first reported values of microplastics in prostate
Erhan Demirelli1, Yalçın Tepe2, Ural Oğuz3
1Department of Urology, Giresun University Faculty of Medicine, Giresun, Turkey.
Background:
Microplastics are ubiquitous, widespread environmental pollutants with unavoidable human exposure. Herein, it was aimed to investigate the presence of microplastics in prostate tissue.
Methods:
Prostate tissues from 12 patients who underwent Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TUR-P) were analyzed to investigate the presence of microplastics. Initially, the prostate tissues were analyzed for microplastic particles using a light microscope after extraction. Subsequently, the chemical composition of the particles found in the prostate tissues was characterized using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrophotometry.
Results:
Microplastic particles of various types were detected in 6 out of 12 patients. All detected plastic particles in this study were microplastics, with sizes below 26 μm in size. These microplastics exhibited different shapes as pellets, spheres or fibers. Overall, among the 12 analyzed prostate tissue samples, four different types of plastic were identified in six samples. The most common type of microplastic detected was Polyamide (Nylon 6), found in samples from three patients. Other detected types, Polypropylene, Polyacrylic Acid and Poly (dimethylsiloxane) were each determined in samples from one patient.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to demonstrate the presence of microplastics in prostate tissue, serving as an exploratory investigation, which can trigger further research to validate the results in a larger patient cohort.
Insights
Microplastics were found in prostate tissue from 6 of 12 patients. This exploratory study identified Polyamide (Nylon 6) as the most common microplastic, highlighting potential human health concerns.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Urology
Background:
- Microplastics are pervasive environmental pollutants with documented human exposure.
- The presence and impact of microplastics within human organs, specifically prostate tissue, remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of microplastics in human prostate tissue.
- To characterize the types and sizes of microplastics detected in prostate samples.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of prostate tissues from 12 patients undergoing Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TUR-P).
- Microplastic extraction and identification using light microscopy.
- Chemical characterization of microplastics via Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrophotometry.
Main Results:
- Microplastic particles were detected in 6 out of 12 prostate tissue samples.
- Identified microplastics were below 26 μm and presented in various shapes (pellets, spheres, fibers).
- Four types of plastic were identified: Polyamide (Nylon 6) in 3 samples, and Polypropylene, Polyacrylic Acid, and Poly (dimethylsiloxane) each in 1 sample.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence of microplastic presence in human prostate tissue.
- The findings suggest a need for further research with larger cohorts to validate these exploratory results.
- Highlights potential health implications of microplastic accumulation in the prostate.
