Study indicates pleasure devices may result in unforeseen ecological and health-related problems
A newly published paper by a Duke University team raises a series of disturbing questions regarding the negative impact the sextech industry could have on the environment and the well-being of its users—and if unchecked, could curtail our use of sex tech to enhance sexual pleasure but even imperil the planet we live on.
The plastic predicament
Focusing on what is arguably the most problematic part of sextech manufacturing, Joana Marie Sipe from the University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and her fellow researchers draw a connection between the industry’s production of nano and microplastic waste and the chemicals often employed to remove it.
To “highlight evidence supporting the possibility that people who use some sex toys in the United States may be exposed to materials that include chemicals previously identified as hazardous, thereby posing potential health risks,” the Duke team began by abrasion testing four different sex toys to replicate average wear-and-tear.
Once completed, they found the pair of vibrators—one identified as “external” and the other “dual” produced the least amount of nano and microplastics. At the same time, the “anal beads” and what they called an “anal toy” resulted in the most.
A big threat from small particles
“These results confirm differences in potential microplastic and nanoplastic generation from abrasive forces applied to sex toys,” the Duke team notes. “While potentially higher than it could be in actual use scenarios, provides understanding of a potential upper bound in mechanically induced exposure. Exposure in this study will reference the generation of microplastics from the material in which the sex toys are generated from as well as the phthalates the material contains, raising the possibility of interaction with these microplastics and chemicals generated.”
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Though studies like those conducted by Duke University may not be conclusive, environmental scientists are also becoming increasingly alarmed by the damage microplastics pose to the environment.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains, “These tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and Great Lakes, posing a potential threat to aquatic life.”
More troubling, researchers led by Khaled Ziani of Bucharest, Romania’s “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, authored a paper stating, “Data from animal studies have shown that once absorbed, plastic micro- and nanoparticles can distribute to the liver, spleen, heart, lungs, thymus, reproductive organs, kidneys and even the brain (crosses the blood–brain barrier).”
The world and everyone on it
As with any industry, a growing number of companies are seeking to cash in on sextech’s increasing popularity. While many understand the importance of producing environmentally conscious and user-safe products, it’s logical to assume others don’t.
Here’s where the trouble lies, as when faced with often expensive but high-quality pleasure devices, consumers may instead opt to go with cheaper, less-personally-healthy, more possibly world-damaging options.
Joana Marie Sipe and her Duke University researchers have already considered this situation, concluding their paper with a rallying call for open discussion of possible detrimental impacts the manufacturing and use of personal pleasure devices might have on user health and the environment: “Increased awareness of potential risk can catalyze a broader conversation around protecting consumers from sex toys risks, support advocacy for additional research, and promote stakeholder involvement to champion protective action.”
Correctly suggesting it’s an everyone problem, they write, “Representative inclusion across all genders and sexual orientations will be important to ensure attention to the risks accrued to, and protections needed by, key affected demographics.”
Green is never easy but absolutely necessary
If the climate crisis has taught us anything, it’s that there’s no time to waste—with the same urgency being equally crucial when discussing the health and well-being of humanity as a whole.
The sextech industry may not like it, and consumers might not want to pay extra, but by demanding more accountability and environmental sustainability—including calling out irresponsible companies while actively supporting conscientious ones—we may just live long enough to enjoy a new wave of smarter, greener, and healthier pleasure devices in a world that’s not choking to death on miniscule bits of plastic.
Image Sources: Depositphotos
