(Beyond Pesticides, March 1, 2013) In a literature review
published in Toxicology last week, researchers found that
environmental and occupational pesticide exposure was strongly
associated with declines in sperm count. Researchers Sheena
Martenies, BS, and Melissa Perry, ScD., MHS., determined that of
the 17 studies evaluated, 15 of them reported significant
associations between pesticides and semen quality. The
researchers counted semen quality according to concentration of
sperm over an area, their motility and ability to move, as well
as their shapes. Researchers targeted studies on DDT, HCH, and
abamectin, grouping pyrethroids and organophosphates by class.
What they found was striking: almost all the studies reported a
decrease in sperm concentration; decreased motility was also
reported though less frequently; while morphological changes
were not strongly associated in studiesâ€”only two indicated any
changes to sperm shape. These findings build on a growing body
of evidence that pesticide exposure at