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| Researchers found men exposed to DDT and PCBs in their teens had higher rates of abnormal sperm years later. |
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Pesticide exposure during teens
linked to later -life sperm
abnormalities
en exposed to pesticides known as
organochlorines during adolescence may be
at higher risk for abnormal sperm, according to new
research.
Researchers found men exposed to DDT and PCBs
in their teens had higher rates of abnormal sperm
years later.
Lead author Melissa Perry - professor and chair of
the Department of Environmental and Occupational
Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health
at George Washington University in Washington, DC
- and colleagues publish their findings in the journal
Environmental Health Perspectives .
In the US, organochlorine pesticides - such as
dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - were widely
used in agriculture and insect control between the
1950s and 1970s.
By the late 1970s, however, such compounds were
banned in the US due to overwhelming evidence of
the harm they may pose to the environment and
animal and human health; they have been
associated with increased risk for cancer,
developmental delays and endocrine disruption.
Despite these risks, some tropical countries
continue to use organochlorines, and even in
countries that have banned their use, the chemicals
can persist in soil and water for many years. In the
US, individuals may be exposed to organochlorines
through high consumption of meat, dairy products
and fatty fish.
For their study, Perry and colleagues set out to
determine how, for the first time, exposure to
organochlorines during adolescence may impact
sperm quality.
Higher rates of sperm disomy with higher
organochlorine exposure
The team assessed the blood and sperm samples
of 90 men aged 22-44 who lived in The Faroe
Islands, where exposure to organochlorines is
higher than normal due to high consumption of fish,
including pilot whale meat and blubber.
For 33 of the men, blood samples were also taken
at the age of 14, allowing researchers to measure
levels of organochlorines and determine their
exposure to the pollutants during adolescence, as
well as in adulthood.
The researchers used an imaging technique created
in Perry's lab to assess the men's sperm samples
for signs of sperm disomy, where the sperm cells
possess an abnormal number of chromosomes - a
condition that has been associated with infertility.
The team found that the men whose blood samples
contained higher levels of DDT and PCBs both in
adolescence and adulthood had higher rates of
sperm disomy than men whose blood samples
contained lower levels of the pesticides.
The researchers say their findings support those of
a previous study they conducted, which found
American men who were part of a couple being
treated for infertility and who had higher
organochlorine concentrations in their blood were
more likely to have sperm disomy.
Pesticide exposure ' may cause
reproductive problems years later '
According to the investigators, their findings should
prompt policymakers to enforce harsher regulations
for the use of pesticides and other chemicals that
may pose harm to public health.
"This study, and others like it, suggest that any
decisions about putting biologically active chemicals
into the environment must be made very carefully
as there can be unanticipated consequences down
the road," says Perry.
In addition, the team believes their findings
emphasize the need for further investigation into
how pesticide exposure may affect a man's sperm
quality. Perry adds:
In the meantime, the researchers say there are a
number of steps individuals can take to reduce their
exposure to potentially harmful pesticides, such as
reducing intake of foods that are high in animal fats
and carefully selecting fish.
The Washington Toxins Coalition recommend
checking with state advisories before consuming
sport-caught fish or shellfish, as they can be high in
DDT and PCBs. Atlantic salmon, wild striped bass,
blue crab and American eel are some of the
commercial fish that contain higher pesticide levels.
Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a
study that identified poor sperm quality among men
who consumed fruits and vegetables with high
levels of pesticide residues
Posted by: Philip Ochika