A limited study has revealed that plastic particles are making their way into the prostate gland. After finding plastic fragments in nine out of ten patients with prostate cancer, the study concluded that the particles are present at higher levels inside tumors compared to adjacent healthy tissue. Doctors found that tumor samples contained approximately 2.5 times more plastic on average than healthy prostate tissue samples. According to the data, there were about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tumor tissue, compared to 16 micrograms per gram in healthy prostate tissue. The lead author of the study, Dr. Stacey Lob from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, stated that there is no direct evidence linking microplastics to prostate cancer, despite preliminary data suggesting a connection with other health issues, such as heart disease and dementia. She added: «Our experimental study provides important evidence that exposure to microplastics may be a risk factor for developing prostate cancer».
