Advertisement

Infertility in Spanish pigs a 'warning' to humans

Alex Dunham
Alex Dunham - [email protected]
Infertility in Spanish pigs a 'warning' to humans
Initial studies which looked at the sows and the semen employed to artificially inseminate the females found no evidence of disease or malformation. Photo: Emily Watbisch/AFP

A Spanish scientist who's investigated the bizarre drop in fertility seen on farms across the country in 2010 has warned her findings could also apply to human sterility.

Advertisement

Analytical chemist Cristina Nerín has been investigating the reasons why 41 pig farms in Spain experienced a sudden drop in litter numbers in 2010, with many of their animals unable to reproduce at all.

Initial studies which looked at the sows and the semen employed to artificially inseminate the females found no evidence of disease or malformation.   

Nerín, from the University of Zaragoza, then looked at the plastic bags used for semen storage by all the ‘infertile’ farms.

An expert in the study of packaging materials, Nerín has determined there is a relation between the chemical compounds in the plastic bags and the animals’ “reproductive failures”, more specifically damage to the sperm’s DNA.

Don't miss stories about Spain, join The Local on Facebook and Twitter.

More worrying still is that these toxic chemicals are often used in packaging food for humans like crisps and sliced meat, and are known to migrate into food.

"(It) shows the real risks we face," Nerín wrote in the study published in the journal scientific reports.

A previous lab study conducted in Germany looked at the effect of 96 endocrine disruptors on human sperm, found in chemicals which they claim are “omnipresent in food, household and personal care products.”

Scientists found the tails of the sperms tested changed in shape, especially when exposed to chemicals used in sunscreens, plastic-softening phthalates used in food, toothpastes, soaps and toys.

“The sperm cells may have more difficulty in sensing where the egg is," physician Niels Skakkebaek also wrote in the study. 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also