“The growing body of scientific evidence indicating links between exposure to manmade chemicals and damage to our reproductive systems is extremely disturbing,” said report author Dr. David Santillo of Greenpeace International's Science Unit. “Greenpeace is calling for any chemical that can potentially harm humans in this way to be removed from use wherever a safer alternative is available."
Among the evidence the report cites:
• A dramatic decline in sperm counts over the past 50 years in many countries.
• Significant increases in testicular cancer.
• Infertility is thought to affect 15-20% of couples in industrialized countries compared to 7-8%
in the early 1960s.
• Girls are reaching puberty at a disturbingly early age in many parts of the world.
• The incidence of endometriosis in women has become alarmingly high in some countries.
• The number of boys born compared to the number of girls has shown declines in several regions, with marked changes in certain specific areas.
According to the report’s authors, many of the disorders found to be on the increase are those that occur during critical early development phases in the womb or soon after birth. This finding fits with studies showing that chemical exposures can and do affect fertility almost from the moment of conception. Indeed, research has shown that a single chemical exposure occurring during any number of critical developmental moments can produce lifelong harm.
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