Higher Exposure to Common Chemical 'Phthalate' Lowers Sperm Motility

Male infertility accounts for 40-50% of infertility cases. Researchers have now revealed that men with higher exposure to the substance DEHP, a so-called phthalate, have lower sperm motility and may therefore experience more difficulties conceiving children. Phthalates is an umbrella term for a group of substances based on phthalic acid. Some of these substances are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Many phthalates are found in soft plastics in our daily surroundings including wallpaper, sandals, nail polish, perfume, floors, carpets and more.

Since phthalate molecules leak out of plastics, we are exposed to it almost daily and absorb the chemicals through food, drink, skin contact and inhalation. Phthalate levels in the human body can be measured by a simple urine sample.

Researcher Jonatan Axelsson of Lund University said, "We have studied metabolite levels of the phthalate DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) in urine as an indicator of exposure, as well as the semen quality of 300 men between the ages of 18 and 20. The results show that the higher metabolite levels the men had, the lower their sperm motility was. For the one quarter of the men with the lowest levels of exposure, 57% of the sperm cells were moving forward, compared to 46% for the quarter of the men with the highest levels of exposure."

The study is published in Environment International.

Source-ANI