Flame retardants linked to infertility in women

Women with high concentrations of common flame retardants in their urine may have a hard time getting pregnant and carrying a baby to term, a recent study suggests.

The chemicals - known as PFRs, or organophosphate flame retardants - can be used to make clothing or upholstery fire-resistant and may also be found in nail polish, yoga mats and car seats.

“These findings suggest that exposure to PFRs may be one of many risk factors for lower reproductive success,” said lead study author Courtney Carignan, who did the research at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

“They also add to the body of evidence indicating a need to reduce the use of these flame retardants and identify safer alternatives,” Carignan, now at the Centre for Research on Ingredient Safety at Michigan State University in East Lansing, said.

Flame retardants added to a wide range of products aren’t chemically bound, which means they’re continuously released into the air and dust, Carignan said.

“We all ingest a little bit of dust every day because small amounts easily stick to our hands,” Carignan added. “Couples wishing to reduce their exposure to flame retardants may benefit from washing their hands several times throughout the day, particularly before eating, as previous studies have shown that people who wash their hands more frequently have lower levels of these chemicals in their bodies.”

The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how flame retardants might impact women’s fertility. Another limitation of the study is that researchers didn’t consider male partners’ exposure to flame retardants, the authors note.