Pollution Linked to Infertility in Men
Levels of Anti-Androgens in Water Related to Male Fertility
Jan 20, 2009
For years, male fish found in rivers in England have been showing changes associated with exposure to estrogen. The main changes have been the feminizing of the fish. The effects of the estrogenic-like chemicals on human health especially on female reproductive health have been extensively studied and well documented. The levels at which these estrogenic-like hormones have been found in the ambient waters have however not been shown to exert the effects of testicular dysgenesis syndrome on male reproductive health; there were other chemicals involved namely, anti-androgens (Susan Jobling et al., Statistical Modelling Suggests That Anti-Androgens in Wastewater Treatment Works Effluents are Contributing Causes of Widespread Sexual Disruption in Fish Living in English Rivers Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/ehp.0800197).
Defining Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome
Over the years there have been increasing incidences of male reproductive health issues such as increasing cases of testicular cancer, lower sperm counts, and declining semen quality. These changes are suspected to have a similar origin therefore classifying them into one syndrome, the testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS). Studies suggest that TDS is caused by changes in the environment, which are disrupting the development of the male reproductive system during male fetal growth (Skakkebæk, NE, E Rajpert-De Meyts and KM Main. 2001. Testicular dysgenesis syndrome: an increasingly common developmental disorder with environmental aspects. Human Reproduction 16:972-978).
Anti-Androgens Linked To Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome
Anti-androgens compete for the same binding sites that androgens bind to. Androgens are the hormones that control and stimulate the male characteristics. The most commonly recognized androgen is testosterone. The new group of identified pollutants inhibits testosterone causing effects associated to testicular dysgenesis syndrome which includes the increasing rate of infertility in men. Previously it was always assumed that estrogen mimics were responsible for all the gender bending activity in water but now the activities of anti-androgens in male reproductive health have come to light and are being studied.
The Chemicals Find Their Way into the Rivers Through the Sewage
Anti-androgenic medications have been used to treat enlarged prostrates, male pattern baldness and also to treat prostrate cancer. Agricultural pesticides and other industrial compounds are also known to have anti-androgenic effects. These pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are making their way into water ways via sewage. From the water ways the pollutants find their way into the drinking water supplies. Although research into the actual human health effect of anti-androgens as pollutants is still on going, the effect of environmental anti-androgens on marine life and wildlife is known to increase genital deformities and decrease fertility.
The increasing levels of pharmaceuticals in water is quickly becoming a global problem, inflicting a more harmful effect than first realized especially when both effects, anti-androgenic and estrogenic are taken into account. Correctly disposing of unwanted medication may help in reducing the chemical load to ambient waters.
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