Infertility caused by chemicals?

By mudlark • November 7th, 2007

Vogue magazine published an article in their August 2007 issue titled “Infertile Ground” that delves into the potential chemical causes for the alarming rise in infertility rates. In fact, the National Infertility Association quotes that one in eight couples are now infertile, with the rates rising annually. Scary stuff. And for the ladies and gents out there who are trying to have a baby, stats like that are pretty discouraging.

The article looks at environmental factors that contribute to infertility, including – but not limited to – pesticides, plasticizers (bisphenol A and phthalates), surfectants (alkylphenols), artificial fragrances, and flame retardants (PBDEs). Some of these can stir up trouble at 2,000 times less than the EPA regulated amounts. An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 new chemicals enter product lines each year in this country, many of which without adequate testing and without being listed as active ingredients.

The cumulative effect is unknown, but rising rates of certain cancers and rising rates of infertility (which has known ties to some of the chemicals names above) can certainly be blamed partly on the reliance we have on inadequately tested and inadequately controlled chemical substances in our plastics, fabrics, food sources, cleaning products and personal care products – to name a few.

Unfortunately, these chemicals don’t just affect us, they have a devastatingly long term effect on our children. In utero, these chemicals affect the growing baby and cause life-long problems like low sperm count, reproductive failure, and even some mutagenic effects. It’s not pleasant.

The natural question is what each of us can do to protect our families. Here are some simple steps you can take:

Check out the SkinDeep cosmetic safety database when it’s time to replace your cosmetics, baby care products, and personal care products.
Go for the safer plastics when you’re purchasing plastic products – especially when those products will contain food or drink. Look for the number inside the triangle on the bottom of the container – you want 1, 2, 4, or 5. Avoid 3, 6, and 7.
Opt for low-VOC paint when possible, and don’t buy flame-retardant fabrics.
By all means, start replacing your household cleaners with natural alternatives. If you don’t trust diluted vinegar (which really will clean up most messes quite well), try Barefoot Home Essentials, Shaklee, Method, Seventh Generation, or Ecover.

Comments(3) Health, News, Pregnancy

Comments

By Bruce Wood on December 29th, 2007 at 11:16 am

28 December

I am looking for an electronic link to the Vogue article, “Infertile Ground”. I am active with an environmental group in Nashville Tennessee which links grass roots solid waste, pesticide, groundwater, and multiple chemicals in the environment to changing local and state policies. We need to act or we will be the next dinosaurs. Thank you for your itnerest in this issue.

By mudlark on December 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am

Sorry Bruce, I spent a good deal of time looking for the article online too, but it seems that Vogue doesn’t publish all their articles online. Such is life. You might be able to find an electronic version of it at your local library where they have all the memberships for research purposes, but it isn’t available to the general public online.

By Glenn on November 15th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

It’s crazy how much chemicals enter our bodily system these days. A recent article that was published in the NY Times showed that males around the world are actually becoming more “feminine” due to the minuscule amount of chemicals we take in from our food and water.

Males around the world are producing less testosterone which is making them “less masculine” as studies say.

I wish I could find the article, if I do I’ll post it in another comment.