Plastic in common items could affect fertility

Pregnant women exposed to items such as cosmetics, plastic toys, and PVC piping and tubing may find that it harms their son’s future fertility.

A report published by the Endocrine Society found that male mice prenatally exposed to a chemical routinely found in consumer products had less testosterone and fewer sperm than mice that were not.

Researchers from the University of Illinois studied the effect of DEHP, a plasticiser found in a wide array of products. Radwa Barakat, the lead author, said: “DEHP may be a contributing factor to the decreased sperm counts… in modern men compared to previous generations.”