Common Chemical Exposures Associated With Reduced Fertility
Several everyday chemicals, such as BPA, phthalates, and pesticides, were linked to lower sperm quality and other fertility problems, a review of studies from 2011 to 2016 found. Other studies found no such link.
Key Findings
Phthalates are man-made chemicals found in many personal care products, medicines, toys, and building materials. The body breaks them down into metabolites detected in more than 99% of urine samples.
A dibutyl phthalate metabolite was associated with nearly a twofold increase in the odds of an endometriosis diagnosis in one study. Several other studies found no such link.
Bisphenol A exposure was associated with reduced sperm concentration, motility, and normal morphology in several studies. Other studies reported no such association.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids had higher blood or follicular fluid bisphenol A levels than women without these conditions in most studies. Some studies found no difference.
Interpretation
The paper is a review of human studies published from 2011 through 2016. The studies assessed chemicals people encounter every day, such as phthalates, pesticides, dioxins, and bisphenol A. The authors examined how each chemical relates to fertility in men and in women. Bisphenol A showed the most consistent link to reproductive problems in both sexes. Dioxins and pesticides were also linked to lower fertility. The authors note that not all studies found a clear link. Reproductive health is tied to the overall health of men, women, and their children, so the authors call for more study of how these chemicals act in the body.
RRM Context
RRM looks for root causes behind infertility. Causes can include chemical exposure at home or work, along with hormone and structural causes. This review supports asking about contact with BPA, phthalates, and pesticides as part of a root-cause check for couples who cannot conceive.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
This review article summarizes the epidemiological findings published between 2011 and 2016 concerning bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, dioxins, pesticides, air pollution, fracking chemicals, triclosan, and parabens and fertility parameters in men (i.e., semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and sperm morphology) as well as fertility parameters in women (i.e., cyclicity, fertility treatment outcomes), pregnancy outcomes (i.e., preterm birth,miscarriage), and reproductive disorders (i.e., polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids). Overall, this review indicates that several environmental toxicants are significantly associated with reduced fertility parameters in men and women as well as several reproductive disorders in women. Although many studies reported that the selected exposures are associated with adverse fertility outcomes, several studies reported null associations. Thus, future studies are still needed to better elucidate the associations and potential mechanisms between these environmental chemicals and fertility outcomes in men and women.
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