Air pollution linked to DNA changes in sperm, research shows

Study of more than 2,000 men identifies epigenetic changes linked to exposure to common outdoor pollutants…

 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/07/air-pollution-dna-changes-sperm-men

 

Wildfire Smoke Is Affecting People’s Sperm and Embryos, Studies Show – Mother Jones

“I would advise [families trying to conceive] to avoid wildfire smoke exposure, given what we know so far.”…

 https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2026/05/studies-wildfire-smoke-exposure-health-effects-fertility-sperm-eggs-embryos/

 

Lab-grown sperm and eggs just a few years away, scientists say | Reproduction | The Guardian

Speaking to the Guardian, Prof Katsuhiko Hayashi, a developmental geneticist at the University of Osaka, said rapid progress is being made towards being able to transform adult skin or blood cells into eggs and sperm, a feat of genetic conjury known as in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG).

 His own lab is about seven years away from the milestone, he predicts…

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/05/lab-grown-sperm-and-eggs-scientists-reproduction 

 

High levels of weedkiller found in more than half sperm samples, study finds

Glyphosate found in samples from French infertility clinic raising questions about controversial chemical's impact on fertility…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/17/glyphosate-weedkiller-sperm

Exposure to widely used insecticides decreases sperm concentration, study finds

"Based on this meta analysis, we believe insecticide exposure … is impacting overall sperm concentration," she told the Guardian. "The message is we need to reduce insecticide exposure in order to ensure men who are planning a family or want to conceive children are able to do that without interference."…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/24/insecticides-decrease-sperm-concentration-study-finds

The Sperm-Count ‘Crisis’ Doesn’t Add Up - The New York Times

In a study published in May in the journal Human Fertility, they re-evaluated the 2017 review and found that it relied on flawed assumptions and failed to consider alternate explanations for the apparent decline of sperm. 

In an interview, Sarah Richardson, a Harvard scholar on gender and science and the senior author on the new study, called the conclusion of the 2017 review "an astonishing and terrifying claim that, were it to be true, would justify the apocalyptic tenor of some of the writing." Fortunately, she and her co-authors argue, there is little evidence that this is the case...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/health/sperm-fertility-reproduction-crisis.html

Tucker Carlson's 'testicle tanning' hits on all the Trump right's obsessions - The Washington Post - Opinion

…No, this is what's crazy. To the extent declining testosterone levels are a problem, the correct solution would be to address a major cause: rising obesity. Instead of shining a red light on your private parts, dear Fox News viewer, turn off Tucker Carlson, get off the couch and go exercise…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/18/tucker-carlson-testicle-tanning-masculinity-wrong/

Plummeting sperm counts, shrinking penises: toxic chemicals threaten humanity

...And it's killing us, literally, by harming and attacking the very source of life: our reproductive capacities. The rapid death and decline of sperm must be addressed, and it must be addressed now. There simply is no time to lose...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/18/toxic-chemicals-health-humanity-erin-brokovich

Falling sperm counts 'threaten human survival', expert warns

"Chemicals in our environment and unhealthy lifestyle practices in our modern world are disrupting our hormonal balance, causing various degrees of reproductive havoc," she writes.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/26/falling-sperm-counts-human-survival

New study finds that marijuana can reprogram sperm genes - The Verge

We don't know yet if the changes are permanent ....
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/19/18148509/marijuana-weed-cannabis-sperm-epigenetic-change-science-health

PFOA and PFOS Cause Lower Sperm Counts and Smaller Penises, Study Finds - The Intercept

There's a new reason to be concerned about PFOA and PFOs, toxic chemicals used in nonstick pans, waterproof products, and firefighting foam. ....
https://theintercept.com/2018/11/30/pfoa-and-pfos-cause-lower-sperm-counts-and-smaller-penises-study-finds/

Dads Pass On More Than Genetics in Their Sperm - Smithsonian

Seminal research reveals that sperm change their cargo as they travel the reproductive tract—and the differences can have consequences for fertility ....
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dads-pass-more-genetics-their-sperm-180969760/

Sperm counts of Western men are plummeting, analysis finds - CNN.com

Sperm counts of men in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand are plunging, according to a new analysis published Tuesday. Among these men there has been a 52% decline in sperm concentration and a 59% decline in total sperm count over a nearly 40-year period ending in 2011, the analysis, published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, said....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/25/health/sperm-counts-declining-study/index.html