Common Chemicals Linked to Infertility

Your cookware and cleaning supplies could make it harder for you to have a baby.

Researchers have found chemicals called perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) might be linked to delays in getting pregnant. PFCs are everywhere -- in Teflon cookware, shampoos, floor wax, food wrapping, carpet treatments and other cleaning products. PFCs are also present in air and water in the form of industrial waste from chemical plants.

The new study looked at more than 1,200 women when they were six to 12 weeks pregnant. If they reported that it took them longer than 12 months to get pregnant or if they used drugs designed to increase their chances of conceiving, they were considered to have infertility -- this is a generally accepted definition of infertility by experts in the field.

One kind of PFC, called PFOS, increased the odds of infertility anywhere from 70 to 134 percent. Another PFC called PFOA was linked to a 60 to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.

Sources:

ABC News January 29, 2009

Human Reproduction January 28, 2009

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Only about 5 percent of all the chemicals used in the United States have ever been tested to see how they impact the human reproductive system. This latest study reveals the consequences of this utter lack of safety concern.
PFCs, which are extremely common chemicals used in Teflon non-stick cookware, carpet treatments, food wrappers, cleaning products, shampoo and more, may seriously impact fertility. Women with the highest levels had up to a 154 percent greater chance of being infertile!

This is an extremely concerning finding, considering that 95 percent of Americans, including children, have the perfluorinated compound PFOA in their blood. But it is not really surprising.
PFCs Have a Long History of Health Risks

In 2007, a study at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health linked PFOA to lower birth weights among newborns. Years earlier, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that PFOA “poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans.”
Further, in animal studies PFOA has been associated with:

• "Significant increases in treatment related deaths" in rat offspring at doses that did not affect the mothers
• Serious changes in the weight of various organs, including the brain, prostate, liver, thymus, and kidneys
• The deaths of a significant number of rat pups of mothers that had been exposed to PFOA
• Damage to the pituitary at all doses in female rat offspring (The pituitary secretes hormones that regulate growth, reproduction, and many metabolic processes. Change in pituitary size is associated with toxicity)

Other unrelated studies have also found evidence of birth defects in babies from PFOA-exposed workers. In 1981, two out of seven women who worked at a DuPont Teflon plant gave birth to babies with birth defects. DuPont then moved 50 women workers at the plant to reduce their exposure to PFOA.

Additionally, PFOA has been associated with tumors in at least four different organs in animal tests, and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers. The EPA has also ruled PFCs as “likely carcinogens.”

As for PFOS, the other PFC mentioned in the above study, this was the active ingredient in Scotchgard until it was removed from the market by the EPA in 2000 due to safety concerns. PFOS has similar chemical properties to PFOA, and neither product breaks down in the environment.

What is being done about all of this?

While the EPA convinced 3M, the manufacturer of PFOS, to stop producing it years ago, PFOA continues to saturate the market. A voluntary program for companies to reduce PFOA emissions and products by 2010, and eliminate them entirely by 2015, has been introduced by the EPA. But again, it is entirely voluntary.

In my opinion, this is entirely too little, too late, as babies are already being born with toxins in their bodies due to their mothers’ toxic loads. A2004 study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) actually found blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and Teflon chemicals.

How to Help Rid Your House of PFCs

These chemicals are so widespread that it will be difficult to eliminate them entirely, but there are some major offenders that might be in your home right now. Some of the products that contain PFCs, which I highly recommend getting rid of, include:

• Teflon and other non-stick cookware
• Microwave popcorn bags
• Packaging for greasy foods
• Stain-proof clothing
• Carpet and fabric protectors
• Flame retardants

Avoiding these products is especially crucial for pregnant women or couples who want to have children, but really anyone who is interested in protecting their health would probably be best off avoiding them.

What ELSE Should You Avoid During Pregnancy?

Avoiding environmental chemicals as much as possible is very important for couples trying to conceive and during pregnancy, and I highly recommend reading Dr. Doris Rapp’s book Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call for tips on how to do this. Her Web site also has a great list of what women can do prior to pregnancy to help avoid chemicals.

What are some of the most important chemicals and other substances to stay away from if you’re pregnant (and also if you’re breastfeeding)?

• Pesticides: Pesticide exposure to pregnant women has been linked to a host of health problems to their developing baby, including miscarriages and stillbirths. There’s also evidence that babies conceived in the summer may have lower IQs due to increased levels of pesticides in surface water at that time of year.
• Mercury: This heavy metal is toxic to the nervous system and developing brain of children and fetuses. It’s also been linked to premature delivery. Where might you be exposed to mercury? From eating contaminated seafood or getting a flu shot, for starters.
• Coffee: Caffeine in coffee and other beverages is an addictive, stimulant drug that passes easily through the placenta to the developing fetus. It is also transferred through breast milk. A developing fetus has no ability to detoxify caffeine.

Studies have shown the equivalent of just two cups of coffee during your entire pregnancy may affect your child’s heart function, and if your baby is male, could also lead to a weight problem. Caffeine during pregnancy has also been linked to miscarriages, low birth weight and birth defects, so I highly recommend pregnant women to avoid ALL caffeine.

• Soy: Soybeans contain compounds called phytoestrogens that act on hormones. These hormones affect the way your baby’s brain is organized, development of reproductive organs, and even your child’s immune system.

Infants who receive excess amounts of phytoestrogens in the womb or after birth from soy formula, risk health problems as wide ranging as early puberty, learning and behavioral problems, and severe allergies.

What to do if You’re Having Fertility Problems

If you are planning to have a baby, I also strongly suggest you get your vitamin D level optimized before and while you are pregnant. It could be one of the most important things you can possibly due in your pregnancy.

You can also read this recent article about the importance of vitamin D for fertility, and make sure you’re getting plenty of safe sun exposure to optimize your levels.

It would also be helpful to add a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fats to your diet and also to optimize your eating habits, get regular exercise and watch your stress levels. These are the basic ingredients that most everyone needs for good fertility.

**Many of the chemicals that cause fertility issues, still births and birth defects in humans also cause the same results in pets and animals. And perhaps these and additional health hazards are even multiplied in them and in toddlers and small children since the exposure in of toddlers, small children, pets and animals is multiplied by the amount of time they all spend on the floor in direct contact with carpets, floor wax and other chemicals like pecticides and cleaning products, plus their propensity for sticking objects and their own contaminated hands and paws into their mouths.**

10 Dangerous Everyday Things in Your Home

Even if you carefully monitor what you eat, and pay close attention to the household products and items you purchase, your chance of being exposed to hazardous toxins is still quite high. Lead, arsenic, mercury, PCBs, flame retardants, and an array of other chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological diseases are well represented in most people’s bloodstream.

These dangerous chemicals and toxins are in the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat and the products you use. Over the last 50 years, from 70,000 to 100,000 different chemicals have been introduced into the world‘s markets with about 1,500 new ones added each year.

Household consumer products injure 33.1 million people in the United States every year. These incidents cost $800 billion in related expenses from death, injury or property damages. And many scientists are starting to believe that, in particular, the chemicals found in a wide variety of the goods you use every day may be more toxic than previously thought. Here are 10 of the most common products that may be hazardous to your health: 10. Mothballs Since moths chew holes through clothing and other textiles, people pack away these stinky repellents to kill them. But studies on one active ingredient in some repellents, paradichlorobenzene, found that it can cause cancer in animals. Other types of moth balls use naphthalene, which after prolonged exposure can damage or destroy red blood cells, and which can also stimulate nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 9. Pesticides Ninety percent of households in the United States use some form of pesticide, a broad term that encompasses a variety of chemical formulas that kill everything from tiny microorganisms up to rodents. In 2006, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received nearly 46,000 calls regarding children under 5 years old who had been exposed to potentially toxic levels of pesticides. 8. Pressed Wood Products This faux wood takes bits and pieces of logs and wood leftovers and combines them together. Pressed wood products include paneling, particle board, fiberboard and insulation, all of which were particularly popular for home construction in the 1970’s. However, the glue that holds the wood particles in place may use urea-formaldehyde as a resin. The U.S. EPA estimates that this is the largest source of formaldehyde emissions indoors. Formaldehyde exposure can set off watery eyes, burning eyes and throat, difficulty breathing and asthma attacks. Scientists also know that it can cause cancer in animals. The risk is greater with older pressed wood products, since newer ones are better regulated. 7. Chemicals in Carpets Indoor carpeting has recently come under greater scrutiny because of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with new carpet installation. The glue and dyes used with carpeting are known to emit VOCs, which can be harmful to your health in high concentrations. However, the initial VOC emissions will often subside after the first few days following. 6. Laser Printers Chemicals A 2007 study found that some laser printers give off ultra fine particles that can cause serious health problems. Another study confirmed that laser and ink-jet printers can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone particulates. All of these have been linked with heart and lung disease. 5. Lead Paint In 1991, the U.S. government declared lead to be the greatest environmental threat to children. Even low concentrations can cause problems with your central nervous system, brain, blood cells and kidneys. It's particularly threatening for fetuses, babies and children, because of potential developmental disorders. Many houses built before 1978 contain lead paint. Once the paint begins to peel away will, it release the harmful lead particles that you can inhale. 4. Air Fresheners and Cleaning Solutions Air fresheners and cleaning solutions, when used excessively or in a small, unventilated area, can release toxic levels of pollutants. This comes from two main chemicals called ethylene-based glycol ethers and terpenes. While the EPA regards the ethers as toxic by themselves, the non-toxic terpenes can react with ozone in the air to form a poisonous combination. Air fresheners in particular are linked to many volatile organic compounds, such as nitrogen dioxide, and some fresheners also contain paradichlorobenzene, the same chemical emitted by mothballs. 3. Baby Bottles and BPA Canada has taken the first steps to outlaw the sale of baby bottles made from polycarbonate plastics, which are the most common type on the market. It has done so because the plastics are made with a chemical called bisphenol-a (BPA). BPA has a structure very similar to estrogen and for that reason is referred to as a "hormone disruptor." Hormone disruptors can interfere with the natural human hormones, especially for young children. 2. Flame Retardants Commonly used in mattresses, upholstery, television and computer casings and circuit boards, flame retardants use polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs for short. Two forms of PBDEs were phased out of use in manufacturing in the United States in 2004 because of related health threats, but the products containing them linger on. Studies have linked PBDEs to learning and memory problems, lowered sperm counts and poor thyroid functioning in rats and mice. Other animal studies have indicated that PBDEs could be carcinogenic in humans, although that has not yet been confirmed. 1. Cosmetic Phthalates Phthalates, also called plasticizers, go into many products including hair spray, shampoos, fragrances, and deodorants. Phthalates bind the color and fragrance in cosmetic products, and are also used to increase the durability and flexibility of plastics. Like BPA, these hormone-like chemicals are linked to reproductive and developmental problems in animals. Because of these findings, California and Washington state have banned the use of phthalates in toys for younger children. Sources: How Stuff Works