By Adrian Stone, BHSc (Nutritional Medicine), BHSc (Naturopathy), Living Holistic Health — endocrine disruptors are everyday chemicals that can interfere with hormones, and when you’re planning a pregnancy the sensible approach is to reduce what’s easy, not to fear everything.
Plastics, pesticides, receipts, cosmetics: once you start reading about chemicals and fertility, it can feel like everything is a threat. I’d like to bring that down a notch. The evidence is real enough to act on, but most of it shows associations rather than proven harm, and the practical steps are fairly simple.
This is the final part of our Preconception Essentials series. It covers what endocrine disruptors are, what the human evidence shows for both partners, where exposure comes from, and which swaps are worth making first.
The short version:
- Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones.
- Human studies mostly show associations with fertility measures, not proven cause and effect.
- Both partners are exposed, and sperm appear sensitive too.
- Reduce what’s easy, starting with how you store and heat food.
What Are Endocrine Disruptors?
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can mimic, block or otherwise interfere with the body’s hormones. Common examples include bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates from some plastics and packaging, certain pesticides, and some flame retardants. Because reproduction depends on finely balanced hormones, fertility is one of the areas researchers study most closely.
Some of these chemicals act like oestrogen, which is why you’ll also see them called xenoestrogens. Our earlier post on xenoestrogens covers that background in more depth.
How Could Endocrine Disruptors Affect Fertility?
In theory, by altering hormone signalling in the ovaries, testes and uterus. In practice, the human evidence is mostly observational, so it shows links rather than proof. Even so, two major reproductive medicine bodies consider the evidence strong enough to recommend reducing exposure, particularly before and during pregnancy.
In 2013, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine issued a joint committee opinion on toxic environmental agents. According to PubMed, they concluded the evidence linking these exposures to adverse reproductive outcomes is sufficiently robust to call for action to reduce exposure.
The individual studies are more mixed than that summary suggests. A 2016 review of BPA concluded it may be associated with infertility in women. However, much of the mechanistic evidence comes from animal studies. Similarly, a 2019 IVF cohort found no overall link between BPA, parabens or phthalates and outcomes. Signals appeared only in earlier years, when exposure levels were higher.
Environmental load is one of the things I consider under oxidative stress and inflammation, two of the four root drivers I look for in almost everyone I see. That’s a working model, though, not a proven pathway, and it’s worth keeping that distinction clear.
Do Endocrine Disruptors Affect Sperm as Well as Eggs?
They appear to. The joint obstetrics and reproductive medicine opinion notes that men’s exposure to certain pesticides is linked with altered semen quality. Researchers also list environmental chemicals among the possible explanations for falling sperm counts, although they haven’t proven that link. Both partners’ exposure counts.
According to PubMed, a 2023 analysis estimated average sperm concentration fell by about half between 1973 and 2018. Its authors name environmental chemicals as one possible contributor among several, not an established cause. If you haven’t read it yet, our sperm health post covers the bigger picture.
Where Does Everyday Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors Come From?
Mostly from food and food packaging, personal care products, household dust and some workplaces. Heating food in certain plastics, handling thermal paper receipts and pesticide residues on food are commonly discussed sources. Occupational exposure, for example in agriculture or manufacturing, can be much higher than household levels.
Australian food is a useful reality check. Food Standards Australia New Zealand reports that very few Australian foods contain detectable BPA, and that dietary exposure is low. It considers current exposure through food not to be a significant health issue. In 2023, however, European regulators set a far stricter tolerable daily intake, and FSANZ has noted reservations about that approach. The science is still moving.
What Are the Easiest Swaps Before Conceiving?
Start with food storage and heating, because that’s where small changes add up. Store and reheat food in glass or stainless steel rather than plastic, choose fresh food over heavily packaged food where you can, and wash fruit and vegetables. If your work involves chemicals, follow safety guidance and use protective equipment.
A 2019 review in Fertility and Sterility encourages reproductive health professionals to help patients reduce exposure before pregnancy, using practical tools rather than alarm. In that spirit, here’s a proportionate list:
- reheat food in glass or ceramic, not plastic;
- swap plastic drink bottles and lunch boxes for glass or stainless steel over time;
- decline paper receipts when you don’t need them;
- choose fragrance-free personal care and cleaning products where it’s easy;
- open windows and vacuum regularly to reduce household dust;
- follow workplace safety rules if you handle pesticides, solvents or other chemicals.
None of this needs to happen overnight. Positive change means sacrifice, but here it’s mostly small habits, and you can introduce them as things wear out.
Should You Get Tested for Chemical Exposure?
For everyday chemicals like BPA and phthalates, routine testing isn’t usually helpful. Levels in urine change from day to day, which is why research studies take repeated samples. Reducing exposure is generally more useful than measuring it. Heavy metals are different, and testing can have a place there.
Where it’s appropriate, hair tissue mineral analysis can help assess potential toxic metal burden. Any concerns about significant exposure, for example through work, belong with your GP, who can arrange medical testing and advice.
We don’t diagnose or treat infertility or chemical toxicity; that stays with your doctor. Our part is the nutritional, herbal and lifestyle work that sits alongside their care. If you’d like help putting together a practical plan, you’re welcome to get in touch with the clinic at our Geelong or Drysdale rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are xenoestrogens?
Xenoestrogens are chemicals from outside the body that can mimic oestrogen. Some plastics, pesticides and personal care ingredients fall into this group. They’re one type of endocrine disruptor, and our xenoestrogens post covers them in more detail.
Should I avoid microwaving food in plastic?
Heating may increase how much of some chemicals move from plastic into food. Australian regulators consider current food exposure low, but reheating in glass or ceramic is an easy way to reduce it further. It costs little and doesn’t depend on settling the debate.
Do I need to buy everything organic?
No. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables matters more than whether they’re organic. Washing produce is a simple step, and if budget allows, you can choose organic for the foods you eat most often. Don’t let cost put you off fresh produce.
Do men need to avoid plastics too?
It’s sensible for both partners to reduce exposure. Sperm appear sensitive to environmental chemicals, and some occupational exposures are linked with altered semen quality. The same easy swaps, especially around heating food in plastic, apply to men as much as women.
How long before trying should we reduce exposure?
About three months is a sensible minimum, because eggs and sperm take roughly that long to mature. Many of these chemicals appear to leave the body fairly quickly, so steady habits matter more than any one-off effort. Start with the easiest swaps and build from there.
References
Endocrine disruptors and fertility research
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Exposure to toxic environmental agents (committee opinion). Fertil Steril. 2013;100(4):931-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.08.043
- Segal TR, Giudice LC. Before the beginning: environmental exposures and reproductive and obstetrical outcomes. Fertil Steril. 2019;112(4):613-621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.08.001
- Ziv-Gal A, Flaws JA. Evidence for bisphenol A-induced female infertility: a review (2007-2016). Fertil Steril. 2016;106(4):827-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.027
- Mínguez-Alarcón L, Messerlian C, Bellavia A, et al. Urinary concentrations of bisphenol A, parabens and phthalate metabolite mixtures in relation to reproductive success among women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Environ Int. 2019;126:355-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.025
Sperm trends and Australian guidance
- Levine H, Jørgensen N, Martino-Andrade A, et al. Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of samples collected globally in the 20th and 21st centuries. Hum Reprod Update. 2023;29(2):157-176. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmac035
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Bisphenol A (BPA). https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/chemicals/bpa
- Your Fertility. Pre-conception checklist for women. https://www.yourfertility.org.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/Pre-conception%20Checklist%20for%20Women.pdf
This article is general information and not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you have been trying to conceive for some time, or have a health condition, please speak with your GP. For private health consultation claiming, please enquire with your health fund to assess coverage. Nutrition consultations are covered by some private health funds — please check with yours first.
