Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds

Researchers find ‘alarming’ effect on fertility across global species from simultaneous exposures Simultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change’s impacts likely generates an additive or synergistic effect that increases reproductive harm, and may contribute to the broad global drop in fertility, new peer-reviewed research finds. The review of scientific literature considers how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, often found in plastic, coupled with climate change’s effects, such as heat stress, are each linked to reductions in fertility and fecundity across global species – including in humans, wildlife and invertebrates. Though the reproductive harms of each of these issues in isolation are well-studied, there is little research on what happens when living organisms are subjected to both. Together, the two issues likely pose a greater threat to fertility, and the additive effect is “alarming”, said Susanne Brander, a study lead author and courtesy faculty at Oregon State University. “You’re not just getting exposed to one – but two – stressors at the same time that both may affect your fertility, and in turn the overall impact is going to be a bit worse,” Brander said.