A new study has found that a pregnant woman’s exposure to dangerous “forever chemicals” could result in their child having a lower sperm count.
The Danish report, published on Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspective, examined pregnant women’s exposure to toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through blood samples taken in the first trimester of pregnancy, and assessing the sperm count of the adult men they gave birth to.
PFAS are chemicals that repel water, oil and heat and are found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, fire extinguishers, waterproof fabrics, paints, plastics, waxes, dental floss and much, much more.
They’re known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t naturally break down and build up over time in humans and the environment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 98% of Americans have trace amounts of PFAS in their bodies, which may take anywhere from three days to nine years to metabolize.
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The study looked at the characteristics and reproductive hormones in 864 young Danish men recruited from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) between 1996 and 2002.
The participants answered questions online from 2017 to 2019 and provided a blood and semen sample.
Researchers had measured their mother’s plasma for 15 PFAS compounds, with seven PFAS above the limit of detection in 80% of the samples.
The men’s semen quality, testicular volume and levels of reproductive hormones and PFAS were assessed. The study found their exposure interferes with the hormones associated to the development of the male’s sexual organs, and mobility of the sperm which is linked to infertility.
The study is the first to assess exposure during the first trimester, which is when the male reproductive organs are in their developmental period.
