While in Geneva, the hope of an international treaty to reduce plastic pollution has died out, researchers alert on the effects of microplastics, especially on the fertility of men.
An alarm bell. American experts are increasingly worried about the fall in the number of sperm, linked to the massive use of plastic in our daily lives. The subject is more relevant than ever, while in Geneva, negotiators in 183 countries have failed to get along to establish a treaty for reducing plastics.
According to the British media The Guardian, scientists claim that the number of sperm decreases by 1% per year in men, for the past 50 years: human fertility has necessarily decreased in parallel.
Obviously, other factors such as obesity can affect fertility, but according to Doctor Shanna Swan, interviewed by the British daily, the decline is “largely due to toxins in the environment which have the capacity to interfere with hormones”.
In decline since 1973
Several research and studies have already been carried out on the subject: last year, Chinese researchers had revealed that each sample of sperm they had studied contained traces of polymers. The results had also shown a difference in the mobility of sperm according to the type of plastic detected.
Doctor Shanna Swan and his colleagues also conducted their own research in 2017, demonstrating a drastic fall in the number of sperm, up to 60% between 1973 and 2011, among men in North America, Europe and Australia.
After repeating the study in 2023, scientists realized that this decline has been in speed for a few years.
A risk for pregnancies
In addition to affecting sperm, microplastics also affect embryos and fetus: the latter are at risk of developing the “phthalate syndrome”, which manifests itself by a drop in fertility, testicular atrophy, reduction in the weight of the fetus, fetal mortality, and malformations.
Faced with the failure of negotiations, the doctor calls for caution: “People can reuse materials. They should try to look at what they use in their take -out containers and transport small glass bottles for their drinks. ”
