Chemicals in household items cause infertility?

Infertility can be a disaster for any couple trying to conceive. It affects about 10% of couples and there is ample evidence that consumer chemicals affect fertility in both men and women.

10% of couples are victims of infertility. Photo:Getty Images.

Most chemicals used in daily life are chemicals that destroy sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. They are used as non-stick coatings in frying pans, household disinfectants (e.g., sprays to repel flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, termites, and insects for ornamental plants). They are also components of detergents, plastics, fragrances, and construction and decoration materials (plywood, concrete additives, paints, varnishes, etc.).

In a new study published in the journal Toxicology Letters, Italian researchers focused on the most common substances such as plasticizers DBP, DEHP, DEP, BBzP...

DEHP makes plastics soft and elastic, DEP keeps aromatic substances from evaporating slowly, making scented candles, DBP makes nail polish more shiny, paint films more flexible, and less likely to crack. BBzP is used to process door frames and floor panels in interiors. All of the chemicals mentioned above come from a family with the common name phthalates, which are derivatives of phthalic acid, a product of petrochemical technology.

The authors used modern analytical methods to accurately determine the concentrations of these chemicals in the urine of 56 couples undergoing infertility treatment (group 1) and an equal number of couples who had given birth (group 2). The analytical results were consistent: the concentrations of phthalates in the urine of group 1 members (including both husband and wife) were high and those of group 2 were much lower.

According to Vietnamnet-M