Wednesday, February 20, 2008
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
Herbicides, chemicals and pollution over half a century have weakened the reproductive capacity of males — be they frogs, horses or humans, a Colorado State University researcher says.
Sperm counts are dropping about 1 percent a year; testicular cancer in young men has tripled in 50 years; and male frogs aren’t developing the voice boxes they need to attract mates.
Exposure to chemicals in products from pesticides to nail polish “can do permanent damage,” particularly if the male is exposed in the womb, as a newborn or as an adolescent, said Rao Veeramachaneni, a biomedical-sciences professor at CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
He points to the post-World War II boom in the use of chemicals and fertilizers as the beginning of the troubles for males in the Western world and across the planet.
Some of the chemicals can survive for 30 to 40 years, polluting rivers, lakes and groundwater, he noted.
When swallowed, the chemicals can attach to receptors in the body that help hormones do their jobs. The chemicals can block actual hormones from attaching, they can mimic real hormones — causing confusion in the male body — or they can block the production of natural hormones.