• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

Rubber Duckies Cause Lower Sperm Count

Rubber ducky, you’re gonna have to be the one!

A new study links phthalates to lower estrogen and testosterone in men, hormones which are necessary for sperm. It’s the first study to show a relationship between the plasticizer and hormones in adult men.

Animal studies have long suggested a relationship between phthalates and sex hormones.  Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, which means they have been shown to interfere with hormones and the processes that they control, such as puberty.  They’ve been linked to fabulous things like cancer and in boys, a genital deformity called hypospadias, where the urinary opening is misplaced on the shaft of the penis. They’ve even been linked to a smaller androgenital distance: that’s a nice way of saying the penis is shorter. Honey, we shrank his penis.

Congress passed a law last year to make toys safer, which included removing phthalates from children’s gear.  I will point out that manufacturers have until February 10 to comply, so these products may still be on shelves.  And be extra wary of anything at your local Dollar Store. Even with the new law, phthalates are found everywhere, from your beauty products and your shower curtain to air fresheners and medical devices.

In this study, researchers took samples from 425 men who seeked help for fertility.  Exposure to phthalates is apparently one of the factors discussed when couples seek treatment. (Though I wouldn’t know, as Mark and I got pregnant by sneezing next to one another.)  Researchers then measured breakdown products of DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, of course!) and other phthalates in urine and compared those levels to hormone concentrations measured in the blood of the men.

The more DEHP metabolites they measured in the men, the lower the levels of estrogen they found. The DEHP metabolites were also linked to lower testosterone.  They interfered with the hormone linking to a specific protein, which whisks them away to where they’re needed.

Less testosterone traveling in the blood may result in lower hormone levels in key cells that guide reproductive processes, leading to reduced maleness.

Study authors warn this isn’t a conclusive study…yet.  Other factors may account for the “reduced maleness”, though they did take in to account age, BMI, smoking status, season of the year and the time of day that the blood samples were collected, and the subjects’ horoscopes.

The study was published this week in Environmental Health News.

Image: Annie Ominous on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Celebrate the Firsts: Win Earth's Best Baby Foods
Five Things You Need to Know About Honey »

Comments

  1. Jonathan says

    January 30, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Great post! I used it as a starting point for my own upcoming post on the environmental blog Super Eco. That’s also a really fascinating and serendipitous photo you found of the rubber ducky reflection.

    Reply
  2. John says

    January 30, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Interesting article. I am just waiting for the conclusive evidence that will show that these plastics are bad for you — so we can put the arguments to rest.

    Reply
  3. casa says

    October 26, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    Great post! I used it as a starting point for my own upcoming post on the environmental blog Super Eco. That’s also a really fascinating and serendipitous photo you found of the rubber ducky reflection.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Blenders and Food Processors: Potential Sources of BPA and Phthalates : Eco Child’s Play says:
    February 15, 2009 at 8:54 pm

    […] In a effort to limit my family’s exposure to BPA and phthalates, I’ve tossed all those freebie plastic water bottles and replaced them with aluminum Sigg bottles.  I banned questionable toys.  I store and heat my leftovers in glass containers. I took down our cheap plastic shower curtain and put up a fabric one.  I even got rid of the rubber ducky.  […]

    Reply
  2. Could “Liquid Wood” Replace Plastic? : Eco Child’s Play says:
    February 19, 2009 at 5:00 am

    […] about the plastic “soup” floating across the Pacific.  You’re well-versed in the phthalates problem.  You avoid bisphenol-A.  You even try to avoid plastic overall as to lessen your consumption of […]

    Reply
  3. Phthalates Out. And the New Chemicals in Toys Are…? : Eco Child’s Play says:
    February 20, 2009 at 5:36 am

    […] are out of kiddie plastic now.  Don’t worry; you can still find the endocrine-disruptor in your makeup and shower curtains and pretty much anything that includes the term […]

    Reply
  4. Meat Makes Groggy Sperm : Eco Child’s Play says:
    June 16, 2009 at 1:37 am

    […] sperm count have been linked to phthalate exposure. Just one more reason to reach for the organic skincare products and avoid certain […]

    Reply
  5. Hospira Slices into Plastic Medical Waste with New IV Bags – CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views says:
    March 10, 2011 at 12:27 pm

    […] On top of its contribution toward a more sustainable waste stream from hospitals, VisIV is also made without DEHP, a plasticiser which belongs to the now-notorious phthalates group.  It is (or was) commonly used in medical devices but groups such as the American Academey of Pediatrics are now advising DEHP-free products.  VisIV is also made without polyvinyl chloride (PVC), another common plastic that has fallen into disfavor.  With the medical industry lining up behind safer plastics, it would seem that the days are numbered for the use of harmful plastics in many other common products, including plastic shower curtains and even rubber duckies. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

AspenClean: Premier Cleaning Products & Service for the Eco-Conscious

Naturally Clean Appliances with PurTru All-Natural Cleaners

More from the archives!

No More Junk Food: UrthBox Monthly Deliveries of Healthy Snacks

Plan Toys Baby Walker is the Perfect Toy to Encourage Budding Infants

TIME Raises A Ruckus & Safer Cosmetics Makes History

Organic Cotton Clothing Made for Kids to Help Kids

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Play Activity

Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Tahini Bisque

Uniquely Scented, Soothing Hand Sanitizer with Integrity: New Vegan PlaneAire Hands with Aloe and Green Tea

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

Your Toddler and NuVal: Keeping (FOOD) Score

Mother's Milk: Boobie Gymnastics

Cut Your Energy Bills: Fire Your Dryer

Prolonged breastfeeding study: “Fat energy contribution of breast milk to the infant diet might be significant” > 1 year

Baby Essentials That Aren’t, Part 2: Infant Car Seats

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

Who Needs Diapers?

Nude Angelina Jolie Statue Unveiled to Promote Breastfeeding

Native American Elder Wisdom: Two Moon Legend

Prenatal Yoga DVDs

Getting Kids Outdoors

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.