Endocrine-disrupting chemicals interfere with human sperm function to a level where it affects fertility, according to researchers at the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research in Bonn, Germany.
The team, working with the University Department of Growth and Reproduction at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, said that endocrine disruptors may be contributing to widespread fertility problems in the West in a way that has not previously been recognised. Around 100 chemicals were tested in the study and around a third of them showed adverse reactions, including 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC), which is used in sunscreens; the antibacterial agent triclosan, used in a wide variety of cosmetics products; and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), a phthalate ester widely used in cosmetics and perfumes.