Male reproductive health under threat

The report, commissioned by Health and Environment Alliance’s (HEAL) partner organization CHEM Trust is entitled Male Reproductive Health Disorders and the Potential Role of Exposure to Environmental Chemicals . It is written by one of the world’s leading experts in reproductive biology, Professor Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council (MRC) in Edinburgh, UK.

Scientists now think that birth defects of boy’s genitals, low sperm counts and testicular cancer, collectively called Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome (TDS), may all have their origins during development in the womb. Testosterone, the male hormone, is needed to form a normal penis and to make the testicles ‘drop’ whilst the baby is in the uterus. Many everyday chemicals in the environment or in consumer products have the potential to block the action of testosterone, and a baby’s exposure to this mixture of chemicals may undermine this process and harm future male reproductive health. This new CHEM Trust report highlights that animal studies have clearly established that certain hormone disrupting chemicals, in particular testosterone disrupting chemicals, can cause TDS-like disorders.

  A new briefing for the public entitled Evidence for men under threat: A referenced briefing on the decline in male reproductive health and the links with chemical exposure during in-utero development written by CHEM Trust (6 pages plus references)

and

 A new leaflet entitled Men Under Threat: A leaflet on the decline in male reproductive health, and the potential role of exposure to chemicals jointly published by CHEM Trust and HEAL.

Action is urgently needed

 REACH* – Firstly, it is important to have hormone disrupting chemicals placed on the law’s ‘most harmful chemicals’ list (called the Candidate list). Having these chemicals on the Candidate list will encourage industry to search for safer alternatives and to phase out these chemicals before the new European Chemicals Agency starts a so-called ‘Authorization’ procedure. Authorisation is REACH’s strictest control procedure, and the advance warning helps industry prepare. At the same time, the accelerated phase out stimulated by the Candidate List is good for public health. Secondly, it is important to quickly move hormone disrupting chemicals from the Candidate to the Priority list, the list of those chemicals topass first through Authorisation. The authorisation process will either allow or prohibit specific uses of the most harmful chemicals, depending on whether: safe thresholds are deemed to exist; the threats to health and environment are too large; and what alternatives are available. Thirdly, REACH decision makers, especially in the committees of the chemicals agency, have an important opportunity to ensure that chemicals which act in combination to disrupt hormones are regulated according to their total combined effects (cumulative risk assessment). (*REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restrictions of Chemicals; the new European Union chemicals law which entered into force in 2007.)

 PESTICIDES – A new European pesticides policy package (the Regulation for placing of plant protection products on the market, and the Thematic strategy and Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides ) is now approved, pending European Council adoption of the final text. Within the next four years, the European Commission must establish a definition of ‘endocrine disrupting’ pesticides which will determine which pesticides will be banned. Here the first important chance for improved regulation is for the Commission guidelines to take into consideration the latest evidence of the impacts of hormone disruptors on human health. The second important improvement will be at individual country level. EU Member States must implement the Directive through National Action Plans setting targets to reduce pesticides use and eliminating or restricting pesticides use in public places. Member State targets therefore can and should include significant reductions in the use of hormone disrupting pesticides; and eliminate their use in public places as soon as possible.

 INTERNATIONAL LAW – The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) establishes obligations to reduce and eliminate POPs by governments that are Parties to the Convention (including the EU). Most of the substances listed in the treaty are subject to elimination by prohibition of production, use, import, and export. Of the 12 POPs listed since 2004, ten are endocrine disrupting chemicals. Of the nine new POPs added in 2009, four are identified as endocrine disruptors on the ‘Our Stolen Future’ website, a key resource tracking the latest scientific research on endocrine disruption. An important avenue for stronger regulation of endocrine disruptors therefore is full and effective implementation of Stockholm Convention obligations at the national level, and additions to the POPs listing of other substances that also have endocrine disrupting properties.

Materials
 Press release
 Prague Declaration on Endocrine Disruption
 Chapel Hill Bisphenol A Expert Panel Consensus Statement

Chemicals Health Monitor resources
 Take Action!

• Use Your Right To Know Send a letter to companies to find out what harmful chemicals are in products you buy
• Get More Chemicals Regulated Send a letter to your government
• More actions
• Individuals, particularly women before and during pregnancy, may want to try to minimise unnecessary exposure to chemicals. "Good chemistry to pregnant and nursing mothers"

Visit HEAL and CHEM Trust websites
 HEAL’s Chemicals Health Monitor website has a section dedicated to the link between ill-health and chemicals – sub-section on Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome (TDS)
 CHEM Trust website