High BPA Levels Linked to Low Sperm Count
Posted by Jared Green on October 28, 2010
WebMD is reporting a new study that links high bisphenol A (BPA) levels in urine to lower sperm count. The study is the first of its kind to link BPA with lower sperm count in humans.
Bisphenol A is a ubiquitous chemical used as a hardening agent in plastic containers such as baby bottles, plastic food containers, and toys. The chemical has been banned in some countries, and Canada placed the chemical on its list of toxic chemicals.
According to the WebMD article, the new study is important because of the chemical's effect on humans, especially the male reproductive system. The evidence against the use of BPA continues to mount.
"This study clearly shows that BPA exposures adversely affect men in a serious way: by influencing their semen quality, which could have obvious impacts on their ability to have children," Laura N. Vandenberg, PhD, of the department of biology at Tufts University in Boston, says in an email.
"This study also shows that adult men are sensitive to BPA, and even small amounts of the chemical can have pretty drastic effects," she says. "What remains to be seen is whether the effects of BPA on semen quality are permanent after the kinds of low, chronic exposures that most adults experience."
Bisphenol A is a ubiquitous chemical used as a hardening agent in plastic containers such as baby bottles, plastic food containers, and toys. The chemical has been banned in some countries, and Canada placed the chemical on its list of toxic chemicals.
According to the WebMD article, the new study is important because of the chemical's effect on humans, especially the male reproductive system. The evidence against the use of BPA continues to mount.
"This study clearly shows that BPA exposures adversely affect men in a serious way: by influencing their semen quality, which could have obvious impacts on their ability to have children," Laura N. Vandenberg, PhD, of the department of biology at Tufts University in Boston, says in an email.
"This study also shows that adult men are sensitive to BPA, and even small amounts of the chemical can have pretty drastic effects," she says. "What remains to be seen is whether the effects of BPA on semen quality are permanent after the kinds of low, chronic exposures that most adults experience."
Contact Jared Green:
1-800-662-6230 or jgreen@arbd.com
