Chemical cocktail threat to male fertility

Chemicals found in many food, cosmetic and cleaning products pose a real threat to male fertility, a leading scientist has warned.

Professor Richard Sharpe, of the Medical Research Council, warned these hormone-disrupting chemicals were "feminizing" boys in the womb.

He linked them to raising rates of birth defects and testicular cancer and falling sperm counts.

Chemicals in consumer products and food that have been reported to disrupt the sex hormones include:

Phthalates: Found in vinyl flooring, plastics, soaps, toothpaste

Bisphenol : Found in babies' bottles, food can linings. mobile phones, computers

Pesticides: Including pyrethroids, linuron, vinclozolin and fenitrothion

Professor Sharpe's report was commissioned by the CHEM Trust, a charity which works to protect humans and wildlife from harmful chemicals.

There is evidence that male reproductive health is deteriorating, with malformations of the penis becoming more common, rates of testicular cancer rising, and sperm counts falling.

Professor Sharpe said: "Because it is the summation of effect of hormone disrupting chemicals that is critical, and the number of such chemicals that humans are exposed to is considerable, this provides the strongest possible incentive to minimise human exposure to all relevant hormone disruptors, especially women planning pregnancy, as it is obvious that the higher the exposure the greater the risk."

New EU chemicals legislation, called REACH (Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals) puts the onus on the chemical industry to prove that its products are safe.

Courtesy of BBC News

Bonnie - there over literally tens of thousands of chemicals in our environment that have never been examined from a safety perspective and thousands more that enter the marketplace with little oversight. Ugh.