Legacy chemicals can hinder women from getting pregnant

A recent study shows that the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in women’s blood can lead to increased infertility. Especially affected are women over 29 years old.

As more and more women postpone child-bearing until they are in their thirties, the already declining fertility rate combined with the negative health effects of POPs create a double-whammy for women’s chances of getting pregnant.

Although many POPs are strictly regulated in Europe and have been so for nearly 20 years under the Stockholm Convention, they still exist in the environment due to their high resistance to degradation.

The presence of these legacy chemicals is a global health concern as multiple studies of both human and wildlife populations link them to negative effects on hormone functions and the reproductive system.

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