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Women with high concentrations of organophosphate
flame retardants (PFRs) in their urine may have a
hard time getting pregnant and carrying a baby to
term.
Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) can disrupt
endocrine function and impair embryo development.
To evaluate associations between urinary
concentrations of organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs)
metabolites and outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF)
treatment among couples recruited from an academic
fertility clinic researchers enrolled 211 women who
provided one or two urine samples per IVF cycle.
Lab tests showed high urinary levels of metabolites,
or byproducts, of three flame retardants: diphenyl
phosphate (DPHP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)
phosphate (BDCIPP) and isopropylphenyl phenyl
phosphate (ip-PPP).
Compared to women with the lowest levels of two of
these chemicals - DPHP and ip-PPP - in their urine,
women with the highest levels were 10 percent less
likely to have a successful fertilization, 31
percent less likely to have an embryo implant in the
uterus, 41 percent less likely to have a viable
pregnancy, and 38 percent less likely to have a live
birth.
Previous studies have linked exposure to products
containing hormone-disrupting chemicals, such as
pesticides and phthalates, to infertility and poorer
reproductive success.
PFRs have been found to cause hormone disruption in
animal studies.
In the current study, 87 percent of the women had
BDCIPP in their urine, 94 percent had DPHP and 80
percent had ip-PPP.
Just 14 percent had the flame retardant
tert-butylphenyl phenyl phosphate (tp-PPP), and none
had bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP).
The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to
prove whether or how flame retardants might impact
women’s fertility and researchers didn’t consider
male partners’ exposure to flame retardants.
See also
Scientists Call for Caution on Widely Used Flame
Retardants (01/11/2010)
Link...
Parabens in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics,
detergents, food, pesticides, tied to poor semen
quality (2017-08-21)
Link...
For more information
Urinary Concentrations of Organophosphate Flame
Retardant Metabolites and Pregnancy Outcomes among
Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization
ehp
Environmental Health Perspectives
Link...
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