New evidence has emerged that suggests chemicals routinely found in the environment could be damaging fertility in some men, the BBC reports.
Scientists in Scotland and France found that fertility in a subset of men could be affected by chemicals such as those from cosmetics, detergents and pollutants.
Some chemicals in the environment can interfere with communication systems within the body and potentially have adverse effects on health and well-being.
It has been suggested that the rise in the need for in-vitro fertilization in humans, particularly as a result of low sperm counts, is due to exposure to chemicals in our environment.
The study, by Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities, was published in the International Journal of Andrology.
Researchers looked at the testicles of sheep that had been exposed to the typical range of chemicals that humans encounter in everyday life, from when their mothers were pregnant until after puberty.
Dr Michelle Bellingham, from Glasgow University said: “We were very surprised to find abnormalities that could result in low sperm counts in the testicles in 42% of the animals.
“The changes were not the same in all affected individuals and they were not obvious from the size of the testicles or from the concentration of male hormones in the blood.”
Prof Paul Fowler, from Aberdeen University, added: “The key now is to work out why these everyday chemicals affect some individuals more than others.”
