The role of environmental pollution on fertility: How pollution, plastic and smoking are harming you

Industralisation and urbanisation have their boons and banes. While they have profited us in many ways, they also pose a significant threat to our health. One of the many things that are affected by pollution and environmental changes is fertility.

Environmental factors can play a role in influencing fertility in both men and women. These factors can have direct or indirect effects on reproductive health. It's important to note that individual responses to environmental factors may vary, and fertility is influenced by a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

We at Editorji, spoke to Dr Hima Deepti, senior fertility specialist from Hyderabad, who gave us insights into how the environmental changes are affecting fertility.

How does the environment affect fertility?

Talking about the environment affects fertility, the doctor said, "Environmental factors have a lot of chemicals in them, both natural and synthetic. Now these chemicals are called endocrine disruptors. Now what do these endocrine disruptors do? Basically, they mimic the natural hormones which are produced in the body and they alter the production of these hormones, their alter the production of these hormones, their transportation and their function. So these hormones which are very important to maintain the reproductive potential both in female and male. So they are getting altered."

The doctor explains that men lose their sperm count and motility, "Coming to a man, it leads to decrease in the sperm quality, the sperm counts, the sperm motility. In fact, some of the endocrine disruptors have been found to alter the DNA fragmentation of sperms. That means the genes in the sperms are getting altered."

How are we exposed to these endocrine disruptors?

The doctor further explained that we are getting these endocrine disruptors from mineral water bottles, food packagng and smoking. She said, "Our everyday exposure to mineral water bottles, the plastic mineral water bottles which we use, the food packaging that is done for packed foods and exposure to smoking, alcohol, other kinds of occupational hazards where you're exposed to a lot of smoke and pollution. Now all of this is responsible for our increased exposure to endocrine disruptors. And this exposure to the environment, pollution without our knowledge, is leading to a decline in the fertility."

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