A scientific study that has just been released to the public shows that The entire combination of chemicals entering the human body greatly and unexpectedly lowers the quality of male sperm..
Chemicals such as bisphenols and dioxins are thought to interfere with hormones and harm sperm quality, and new research has revealed that they do. compounds are found at “surprising” levels up to 100 times higher than those considered safe.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is responsible for the greatest risksdrawing attention to scientists in results published by Guardian. This chemical is found in milk and canned foods as it leaches from the linings of containers.
The researchers explain that key steps for healthy male sexual development occur during pregnancy, making the study results particularly relevant for expectant mothers.
50% less sperm in 40 years
Scientists recall that for decades, sperm count and concentration have experienced an alarming decline in Western countries and Sperm count has halved in the last 40 years. Other male sexual disorders such as penile malformation, breast cancer, and undescended testicles are on the rise. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are the prime suspect in this entire case, and the study sheds new light on the drug’s potential. chemical cocktails for harming the male reproductive organs.
The study team, led by Professor Andreas Kortenkamp of Brunel University London, said: stunned by the size of the hazard index— that is, the measure of risk posed by chemical cocktails The team was also surprised that BPA is the chemical of most concern, as previous studies focused on phthalates used in plastics.
Kortenkamp assured Guardian He said the research will allow for better epidemiological studies to assess the effects in humans. “But personally I think, with the evidence we’ve got, no reason to delay any regulatory action”.
Research published in the journal Environment Internationalevaluated measurements of nine chemicals, including bisphenol, phthalates, and acetaminophen, in urine samples from nearly 100 Danish men aged 18 to 30 years. It also used available data, mostly from the European Food Standards Agency, to estimate people’s exposure to 20 other chemicals.
These data were compared with acceptable exposure levels, again obtained from the scientific literature. This gave a measure of the potential impact of each chemical and was then added using an established method to produce an overall measure of risk for the cocktail of chemicals in each man.
All men were exposed to combined exposures considered unsafe and the levels of the most exposed were 100 times the acceptable level, on average 17 timesyes “Our assessment reveals alarming excesses of acceptable exposures,” the researchers said.
The most problematic compounds
The researchers were also able to classify the chemicals. Dioxins, paracetamol and phthalates follow BPA as the main risk factor.. However, the removal of BPA did not reduce the combined exposure to acceptable levels.
It was shown that paracetamol causes a decrease in sperm quality increases the risk of undescended testicles in laboratory animals and in boys whose mothers use analgesics during pregnancy. A review backed by 90 scientists in 2021 concluded: “To pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy [el paracetamol], A doctor or pharmacist should be consulted unless medically indicated and unsure.
The researchers acknowledged that there were uncertainties in their analysis. For example, the data used correspond to the years 2009-2010, While exposure to BPA has decreased slightly since then, exposure to other bisphenols has increased. It is also possible that the young women did not have the same chemical exposure as the young men in the study.
However, none of this seems to change the background of the study. The researchers said: “Given the large number of chemicals that humans are exposed to, these limitations almost certainly mean that we underestimate the risks of mixing chemicals.” Also, PFAS compounds, called “forever chemicals,” can harm sperm, but were excluded from the study because data were limited. Air pollution can also affect sperm quality.
In addition to the effects of chemicals, scientists have suggested other reasons for decreased sperm quality, with research suggesting links to body weight, lack of physical activity, and smoking.
“We are not saying that chemicals are the only factor”Kortenkamp said. “Nutrition epidemiologists say that eating high-fat foods (cheese, butter, cheap oils, high-fat meat) is not good for sperm quality.”
Professor Hagai Levine, from the Hebrew University School of Public Health in Israel, said: “This is a unique study and adds to the science. growing evidence of adverse effects of certain chemicals on human reproduction. We must step up global efforts to investigate the causes of male reproduction.
Instead, Professor Richard Sharpe, from the University of Edinburgh, said: “Contrary to what the authors of the new study and many in the scientific community say, I am not convinced that exposure to weak endocrine-active environmental chemicals plays an important causal role. Although there is strong evidence for acetaminophen, the study did not test it. He points out that there is no direct evidence that many of the chemicals ingested harm human testicular development.
Sharpe said she is convinced that the drop in sperm count must have an environmental cause that could affect early pregnancy. But he said a high-fat, processed diet is itself harmful and is the main source of the chemicals, making it hard to tell which might be the culprit. But Sharpe said some chemical cocktails can negatively affect sperm count in men.
Reference article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/10/cocktail-of-chemical-pollutants-linked-to-falling-sperm-quality-in-research
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