The possibility that environmental pollutants damage human fertility is a topic of both public concern and scientific interest. The effect of environmental factors on male fertility (semen parameters) has been a special focus, stimulated in part by the dramatic damage inflicted by the pesticide DBCP on testicular function. Extensive searches for testicular toxicants (in particular, the proposed effects of endocrine-disrupting compounds through fetal exposure) have produced little hard evidence of impairment in humans. This scarcity of evidence may reflect the difficulties of studying human fertility. Future fertility studies should consider the wide spectrum of environmental exposures that plausibly affect reproduction.

PDF | PDF | 中文摘要 |