PMID- 36974201
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20230329
IS  - 2662-4966 (Electronic)
IS  - 2662-4966 (Linking)
VI  - 3
IP  - 1
DP  - 2023
TI  - Bringing sex toys out of the dark: exploring unmitigated risks.
PG  - 6
LID - 10.1186/s43591-023-00054-6 [doi]
LID - 6
AB  - A majority of American adults report having used sex toys, which, by design, 
      interact with intimate and permeable body parts yet have not been subject to 
      sufficient risk assessment or management. Physical and chemical data are 
      presented examining potential risks associated with four types of currently 
      available sex toys: anal toy, beads, dual vibrator, and external vibrator. A 
      standardized abrasion machine made real-time breakdown of products into 
      microplastics and nanoplastics. The microplastics from the sex toys were then 
      solvent extracted and analyzed using GC-MS. Rates of microplastics and 
      nanoplastics released during abrasion testing from most microplastic release to 
      least was the anal toy, beads, dual vibrator, external vibrator. Both micro- and 
      nanoplastics particles were generated following the abrasion test, with the 50 
      percentile diameters (D50) ranging from the anal beads at 658.5 mum, dual vibrator 
      at 887.83 mum, anal toy at 950 mum, and external vibrator at 1673.33 mum. The 
      material matrix of each product was analyzed using ATR-FTIR, with results 
      identifying the anal toy as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the anal beads as 
      polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the external vibrator as a silicone blend 
      (polydimethylsiloxane [PDMS]), and the dual vibrator as a rubber mixture 
      (polyisoprene). After extraction, phthalates known to be endocrine disruptors 
      were present in all tested sex toys at levels exceeding hazard warnings. 
      Analogous findings have been reported for similar materials that, when 
      incorporated into other product categories, are subject to regulatory scrutiny in 
      both the US and EU. This data set is not intended to be representative of sex 
      toys as an entire class of products, nor are the abrasion experiments claiming to 
      simulate exact use conditions. However, these exploratory data frame potential 
      concerns, highlighting research questions and the need for prompt prioritization 
      of protective action. Therefore, future studies and multi-stakeholder action are 
      needed to understand and reduce risk for this class of products. SUPPLEMENTARY 
      INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 
      10.1186/s43591-023-00054-6.
CI  - (c) The Author(s) 2023.
FAU - Sipe, Joana Marie
AU  - Sipe JM
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5602-0922
AD  - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA. 
      GRID: grid.26009.3d. ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 7961
FAU - Amos, Jaleesia D
AU  - Amos JD
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-9769-4920
AD  - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA. 
      GRID: grid.26009.3d. ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 7961
FAU - Swarthout, Robert F
AU  - Swarthout RF
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-4040-4240
AD  - A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, Appalachian State 
      University, Boone, NC USA. GRID: grid.252323.7. ISNI: 0000 0001 2179 3802
AD  - Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Appalachian State 
      University, Boone, NC USA. GRID: grid.252323.7. ISNI: 0000 0001 2179 3802
FAU - Turner, Amalia
AU  - Turner A
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-0045-7073
AD  - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA. 
      GRID: grid.26009.3d. ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 7961
FAU - Wiesner, Mark R
AU  - Wiesner MR
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-0823-5045
AD  - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA. 
      GRID: grid.26009.3d. ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 7961
FAU - Hendren, Christine Ogilvie
AU  - Hendren CO
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-9546-6545
AD  - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC USA. 
      GRID: grid.26009.3d. ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 7961
AD  - Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Appalachian State 
      University, Boone, NC USA. GRID: grid.252323.7. ISNI: 0000 0001 2179 3802
AD  - Research Institute of Environment, Energy and Economics, Appalachian State 
      University, Boone, NC USA. GRID: grid.252323.7. ISNI: 0000 0001 2179 3802
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20230323
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Microplast nanoplast
JT  - Microplastics and nanoplastics
JID - 9918316784706676
PMC - PMC10034881
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Consumer products
OT  - Microplastics
OT  - Nanoplastics
OT  - Phthalates
OT  - Risk
OT  - Sex toys
OT  - Vibrator
COIS- Competing interestsAuthors declare that they have no competing interests.
EDAT- 2023/03/29 06:00
MHDA- 2023/03/29 06:01
PMCR- 2023/03/23
CRDT- 2023/03/28 01:56
PHST- 2022/12/21 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2023/03/09 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2023/03/29 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2023/03/28 01:56 [entrez]
PHST- 2023/03/29 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/03/23 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 54 [pii]
AID - 10.1186/s43591-023-00054-6 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Microplast nanoplast. 2023;3(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s43591-023-00054-6. Epub 2023 Mar 
      23.