Update about the disrupting‐effects of phthalates on the human reproductive system

Abstract

Phthalate esters are synthetic chemicals used in the plastic industry as plasticizers and consumable products. According to United Nations, about 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year. In parallel with increased production, the concerns about its effects on human health have increased because phthalates are endocrinedisrupting compounds. Humans are continuously exposed to phthalates through different routes of exposure. Experimental data have associated the phthalates exposure to adverse effects on development and reproduction in women (e.g., earlier puberty, primary ovarian insufficiency, endometriosis, preterm birth, or in vitro fertilization) and men (e.g., anogenital distance, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and changes in adult reproductive function) although there is no consensus. Therefore, one question arises: could the increase in infertility be related to phthalates exposure? To answer this question, we aimed to assess the disruptingeffects of phthalates on the human reproductive system. For this, we reviewed the current literature based on epidemiological and experimental data and experimental studies in humans. The phthalate effects were discussed in a separate mode for female and male reproductive systems. In summary, phthalates induce toxicity in the reproductive system and human development. The increased plastic production may be related to the increase in human infertility.

A high-throughput approach to identify reproductive toxicants among environmental chemicals using an in vivo evaluation of gametogenesis in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

“…Phthalates are a class of chemicals found in a wide variety of consumer products due to their plasticizing abilities (Kelley et al 2012;Net et al 2015;Zota et al 2014). Like BPA, phthalates have known endocrine disrupting properties and are considered reproductive toxicants (reviewed in Mesquita et al 2021, Seda et al 2021. In this study, out of the nine phthalates examined in yeast, none showed an effect on gametogenesis.…”

“…Although no usage classes were linked strictly with reprotox20 toxicants in our assay, among the chemical classes we considered, bisphenol and QAC chemical structures were the strongest predictors for reproductive toxicity. Interestingly, phthalates were not found to be predictors, although this chemical category has been associated with poorer reproductive outcomes in mammals (Mesquita et al 2021;Repouskou et al 2021). We will discuss this apparent discrepancy below.…”

Triclosan and Its Consequences on the Reproductive, Cardiovascular and Thyroid Levels

“…Triclosan has already been detected in several matrices, such as in urine, blood, serum, and breast milk ( Table 4 ). For this reason, some studies have been conducted to determine whether or not the presence of TCS can affect the foetus, through crossing the placental barrier, or even if it can induce adverse effects in future generations, as already observed for other endocrine disruptors [ 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Regulation mechanisms of endocrine disruptors on vasodilation and vasoconstriction: Insights from ex vivo models

“…Exposure to EDCs, such as phytoestrogens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, flame retardants, plasticizers, pesticides, and cosmetics is an integral and fundamental part of human exposure and can occur by multiple pathways including air, food, water, and consumer products. However, this exposure led to several adverse effects on human health, including on cancer, reproductive, metabolic, and neurobiology systems, and cardiovascular disorders (e.g., coronary artery disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, or myocardial infarction) (Zlatnik, 2016;Gore et al, 2019;Papalou et al, 2019;Fu et al, 2020;Mariana and Cairrao, 2020;Mesquita et al, 2021). Concerns about endocrine exposure have increased as the modulation of EDCs on the actions of natural hormones is discovered to involve a range of additive, synergistic, or negative biological effects (Feron et al, 2002;Fowler et al, 2012;Ribeiro et al, 2017).…”