BPA Exposure May Damage Sperm in Humans

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One of the first studies concerning the ubiquitous chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) and the human reproductive system point to a lower sperm count and sperm quality. Researchers have stressed that the results are preliminary and more studies are necessary. However, BPA has been banned by several states due to its potentially serious side effects.
BPA is a chemical used in the manufacturing of all types of plastics and food and beverage containers, including baby bottles. Six billion pounds of BPA are produced annually.
BPA enters the human body by seeping into the plastic containers. Exposure to BPA has been linked to cardiac problems, aggressive breast cancer, and now sperm damage. According to one study, research participants drinking from plastic containers made with BPA for one week demonstrated a 2/3 increase of BPA in their urine.
The new study linking sperm damage with exposure to BPA is published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology. The lead author on the study, John Meeker who noted, “We found that if we compare somebody in the top quartile of exposure with the lowest quartile of exposure, sperm concentration was on average about 23 percent lower in men with the highest BPA.”

Holly Haines
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