A research team from the IISPV and the URV demonstrates a significant association between high levels of these chemical compounds in urine and sperm vitality
Tarragona, 25 October 2024. Increased exposure to bisphenols, a group of chemical compounds present in everyday products, is associated with a decrease in semen quality, according to a study published by a research team from the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), Rovira i Virgili University (URV) and the CiberObn consortium. Bisphenols, such as bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF), are widely used in the manufacture of plastics and epoxy resins, and are found in food packaging, plastic bottles and can linings, among other products.
These compounds, also known as hormone disruptors, have the ability to alter the function of the endocrine system. Exposure to bisphenols comes mainly from consuming food or beverages contaminated by packaging containing these compounds.
The study, carried out in collaboration with other international centres, analysed the relationship between urinary BPA, BPS and BPF levels and several semen quality parameters in 195 Spanish men of reproductive age, with no history of infertility. This research is part of the Led-Fertyl (Lifestyle and Environmental Determinants of Fertility) study, which is intended to be extended to volunteers from other European countries.
The results of the research showed a significant inverse association between urine levels of BPA and BPF and sperm vitality. Specifically, higher levels of these compounds were found to be associated with lower sperm vitality. In addition, all participants exceeded the new tolerable daily intake (TDI) limits set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for BPA, suggesting that there is widespread exposure to these endocrine disruptors above levels considered safe.
According to researcher María Ángeles Martínez, first author of the study, ‘these results underline the urgent need to review the safety of these compounds and their impact on male fertility’. In addition, the research team warns that, if these harmful effects are confirmed in other populations, it will be necessary to implement more restrictive policies on the use of bisphenols to reduce fertility problems.
These results, published in the scientific journal Environmental Research, provide new evidence on the harmful effects of bisphenols on male reproductive health, highlighting the need to re-evaluate the safety of compounds such as BPS and BPF, recently used as substitutes for BPA.
The study was led by María Ángeles Martínez, currently professor of toxicology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and involved the participation of Albert Salas-Huetos, assistant professor at the URV; Nancy Babio, associate professor at the URV and Professor Jordi Salas-Salvadó, who also heads the URV’s Human Nutrition Unit and the IISPV. Researchers from the IISPV and the University of the Faroe Islands also took part.
Bibliographical reference: María Ángeles Martínez, Albert Salas-Huetos, María Fernández de la Puente, Cristina Valle-Hita, Montse Marquès, Claudia Del Egido-González, Estefanía Davila-Cordova, Cristina Mestres, Maria Skaalum Petersen, Nancy Babio, Jordi Salas-Salvadó. Exploring the association between urinary bisphenol A, S, and F levels and semen quality parameters: Findings from Led-Fertyl cross-sectional study. Environmental Research 2024. ISSN 0013-9351, Doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120086.
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