Rampant plastic use is causing human penises to shrink
What's the story
Environmental pollution is causing penis shrinkage and genital deformation in humans, a new book reveals.
Leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Dr. Shanna Swan's book Count Down warns of an "existential crisis," where pollution threatens the very existence of humanity by adversely affecting fertility rates.
Dr. Swan blames the rampant use of plastics for this predicament that could have adverse and irreversible effects on mankind.
Imperiling humanity
Phthalates used in manufacture of plastic are causing genital deformities
The book blames phthalates, a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics, for causing penis shrinkage and genital deformation. Dr. Swan claims that the chemical is responsible for a growing number of babies being born with small penises.
The book touches on "how our modern world is threatening sperm counts, altering male and female reproductive development, and imperiling the future of the human race".
Dangerous chemical
Phthalates are causing reduction of penis volume in infants
The catalyst for Dr. Swan's book came from her research that revealed how phthalates caused rat fetuses to be born with shrunken genitals.
This was also witnessed in humans, with babies exposed to the chemical exhibiting shorter anogenital distance, which also correlates to penis size.
Phthalates are used in production of all types of plastics, primarily to make them flexible.
Endocrine disruptor
Phthalate exposure in children documented through plastic toys
Phthalates are among the many endocrine disruptors originating in plastic. The chemical interferes with normal sexual development by mimicking the hormone estrogen and disrupting the body's natural hormone production.
The chemical is not only stunting sexual development in infants, but it also affects sexual behavior in adults. However, its rampant use in plastic toys is how it is increasingly affecting genital morphology in humans.
Children of Men
Dr. Swan predicts most men will become infertile by 2045
Peer-reviewed studies reveal how sperm levels in Western males have dropped 50 percent in the past four decades. This has been confirmed across 185 studies involving 45,000 healthy males.
Dr. Swan believes that at this rate of fertility decrease, most men will lose the ability to produce viable sperm by 2045.
This theme is depicted in Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 sci-fi hit Children of Men.
Regulating exposure
Unlike BPA, there is no public health policy regulating phthalates
Although the US Centers for Disease Control has documented the harmful effects of phthalates, that hasn't translated into public policy limiting its use.
Enough research and public health policies exist for bisphenol A (BPA), which is another plastic-related chemical affecting the brain and reproductive health in humans.
However, the ban on BPA prompted manufacturers to use bisphenol S (BPS), which is just as harmful.