"Higher exposure to commonly used insecticides was associated with lower sperm quality in men, according to a new study that adds to a growing body of evidence about the reproductive health risks of pesticides.
The study, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, analyzed the semen and urine samples of 179 men attending an assisted reproductive technology clinic in Jinan, China, and found that higher neonicotinoid levels in semen were linked to a 27% drop in sperm concentration.
The study comes at a time when global fertility rates are down by more than half from where they were 50 years ago and global sperm counts have decreased by 62% over the last five decades. Researchers say there are likely a number of factors for declining sperm counts, but increasingly point to chemical exposures as key drivers.
Neonicotinoids are the world’s most widely used class of insecticides, and are often used in mixtures with one another to target multiple pests. They are commonly applied as coatings to seeds planted by farmers, and residues of the chemicals can persist in food and water."
