Exposure to aluminum is associated with reduced sperm quality, as well as reduced sperm count.
This is a study that should reassure many gentlemen. Male fertility has fallen sharply for decades. But their capacities are not to be questioned: it could be the exposure to aluminum, according to a study published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology.
High levels of aluminum
Conducted at the CHUs of Lyon (Rhône) and Saint-Etienne (Loire), as well as at the University of Keele (United Kingdom), this study reviewed the quality of sperm from 62 French donors. Microscopic examinations revealed a strong presence of aluminum in the semen of these men. The level averaged 339 parts per billion (ppb). They peaked at 500 ppb in several samples.
Exposure to aluminum is inversely associated with sperm count. In fact, the higher the levels recorded, the fewer sperm there were, underline the authors of this study.
The environment: an increasingly serious issue
“There has been a significant decline in male fertility, including sperm count, in industrialized countries over the past few decades, and previous studies have attributed it to environmental factors like endocrine disruptors,” explains the Prof. Christopher Exley, UK author of the study.
“Human exposure to aluminum has increased significantly over the same period; the fact that we observed a significant contamination of male semen by aluminum should lead us to consider this element as a potential contributor to these changes in reproductive fertility. “
The environment is undoubtedly to be explored. Many endocrine disruptors have been implicated. A study published in Environment Health Perspectives suggests that prenatal exposure to DiNP phthalate reduces anogenital distance in young men, which disrupts fertility. Other studies have established a link between carrying a cell phone in the pocket and the loss of male fertility.
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