Health
Environmental toxins may undermine fertility, IVF success, expert warns
Janet Ogundepo
Environmental toxins in air, water, food and everyday products may damage sperm and egg quality and reduce the chances of successful in vitro fertilisation, a fertility specialist, Professor Oladapo Ashiru, has warned.
Ashiru, Secretary General of the International Federation of Fertility Societies, said endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment could affect sperm, eggs, and the developing baby, urging couples planning a pregnancy to discuss their environmental and occupational exposures with qualified fertility specialists.
The fertility expert spoke while presenting an update on preconception cleansing at the 2nd African Federation of Fertility Societies and 16th Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health conference held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Ashiru, who is also the President of the Academy of Medical Specialities of Nigeria, said conventional semen analysis did not explain an estimated 30 to 40 per cent of male-factor infertility.
He identified sperm DNA damage, oxidative stress and epigenetic changes as hidden factors that could influence embryo development and live births.
The President of the Africa Reproductive Care Society and Chairman of the MART Group of Health Services further noted that evidence showed that sperm DNA fragmentation above 30 per cent was associated with reduced blastocyst formation during IVF, while agricultural workers exposed to organophosphate pesticides had about 50 per cent higher sperm aneuploidy and poorer IVF outcomes.
He also cited studies linking occupational exposure to bisphenol A with lower sperm concentration, phthalates with poorer semen quality and heavy metals, including lead, cadmium and mercury, with increased sperm DNA fragmentation.
Ashiru said air pollution could also affect male fertility, noting that exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide during the 90 days preceding semen collection had been associated with reduced sperm motility.
He further cited a 2022 prospective study in China which found that couples living within 500 metres of a major road had a 15 per cent lower live birth rate per IVF cycle.
Highlighting Nigeria’s environmental challenges, the fertility specialist cited pollution in the oil-producing Niger Delta, as well as threats associated with climate change, mining, deforestation, pesticides and industrial chemicals.
He noted that international bodies, including the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, had recognised the reproductive health risks associated with toxic environmental chemicals.
Presenting findings from the MART/MARTLIFE Detox Clinic, Ashiru said patients who underwent preconception detoxification before fertility treatment recorded improved outcomes.
He said the approach, based on Modern Mayr Therapy, combined lymphatic drainage enhancement, infrared cabin sessions, hydrotherapy, oxygen-based therapies, antioxidant therapy and orthomolecular supplementation.
The fertility specialist noted that patients were selected based on their medical history, occupational exposure or unexplained IVF failure.
He said findings published in Global Reproductive Health showed that 131 patients who underwent detoxification recorded a 41.2 per cent pregnancy rate, compared with 31 per cent among 87 patients who did not.
“Clinical pregnancy rates were 27.5 per cent among those who underwent detoxification, compared with 21.8 per cent in the comparison group, while live birth rates were 23.7 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively,” he said.
The presentation also referenced a separate case report documenting the removal of heavy metals from a patient before fertility treatment.
Ashiru said the approach could help remove nutritional toxins and heavy metals, improve mitochondrial quality and minimise the toxic effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on assisted reproductive technology outcomes.
“Every couple deserves to begin their journey to parenthood in the healthiest possible environment. Toxins in our air, food and everyday products can affect sperm and egg quality long before conception, yet they are rarely discussed in the fertility clinic,” he stated.
He encouraged couples planning pregnancy to discuss their occupational and environmental exposures, lifestyle and diet with qualified fertility specialists.
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