New research at Universities of Sheffield and Manchester and the University of Nottingham, UK, suggests that male fertility and even the DNA of our children is being adversely affected by modern day contaminants.
According to the journal, Occupational And Environmental Medicine, which is part of the British Medical Journal, men in the painting and decorating trade are particularly at risk of fertility problems. The chemical Glycol which is found in paints and many other products caused an increased risk of low sperm count in men who were occupationally exposed to it. Other risks included motility problems (sperm that can't swim very well) and morphology (the size and shape of the sperm) as well as the quality of the DNA within the sperm.
Other side-effects of glycol include headache, backache, swelling, sore throat and liver and kidney failure. If you accidentally ingest it, it also causes drowiness, vomiting, slurred speech and even coma and death. It is an extreme skin irritant and can cause skin and eye irritation, particularly to people who are exposed to it on a daily basis.
2,118 men were followed in the study, which found that glycol in the work place was a fertility hazard. Manual workers were also at greater risk. Non-occupational hazards included alcohol consumption and a previous surgery to the testicles.
Dr. Andy Povey at the University of Manchester said:
"We know that certain glycol ethers can affect male fertility and the use of these has reduced in the past two decades. However, their use in the workplace is still a hazard so further work is needed to reduce such exposure."
Doctors at the University of Nottingham have also found that pesticides and plastics can be harmful to fertility and may affect the developing baby in the womb. It is thought that fertility problems caused by chemicals may be more of a risk for female fetuses. They may take in contaminants in their mother's tissue, through what she eats during pregnancy and in breast and bottle feeding. This is called bioaccumulation, where toxins build up in the body gradually through repeated exposure.
Dr. Lea said:
"Less is known about the affects on hormone-like chemicals on the developing female foetus so the consequences for reproductive development in females may be greater than in males."
These pesticides and plastics are in foods which are not organic, milk which is not organic, and even in food packaging. To safeguard our men's health and that of our children, we should all strive to reduce our use of plastics and harsh chemicals and opt for an organic, greener lifestyle.
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