The German Research Association recently released a press release stating that a special study funded by the association at the University of Erlanger Nuremberg in Germany suggests that the decrease in global male sperm count in the past few decades may be related to the chemical phthalate, which is widely used as a softener in light industry. This substance is widely present in cosmetics, children's toys, and food packaging. If its content exceeds the standard, it will pose great harm to human health. So, what kind of substance is this and what harm can it cause to the human body?
According to Qu Jianqiao, a researcher at the Environmental Health Monitoring Institute of the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, phthalates are a type of chemical that can have a softening effect. It is widely used in hundreds of products such as toys, food packaging materials, medical blood bags and hoses, vinyl flooring and wallpaper, detergents, lubricants, personal care products (such as nail polish, hair spray, soap and shampoo).
Professor Cheng Changmei from the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University said that research has shown that phthalates play a role similar to estrogen in humans and animals, disrupting the endocrine system, reducing male semen volume and sperm count, reducing sperm motility, abnormal sperm morphology, and in severe cases, leading to testicular cancer, making them the "culprit" for male reproductive problems.
Among cosmetics, nail polish has the highest content of phthalates, which is also contained in many aromatic ingredients of cosmetics. Professor Cheng Changmei said that this substance in cosmetics will enter the body through women's respiratory system and skin. If used too much, it will increase the probability of women suffering from breast cancer, and will also harm the reproductive system of their future male babies.
Experts have found that soft plastic toys and children's products containing phthalates may be imported by children. If left for a long time, it can lead to the dissolution of phthalates exceeding safe levels, which can harm children's liver and kidneys, and can also cause precocious puberty.
In order to reduce the harm of phthalates to human body, it is better not to use foam plastic containers to soak instant noodles at ordinary times. Do not use polyvinyl chloride (containing phthalate components) plastic containers to heat food in a microwave. The correct approach is to move the food to heat-resistant glass or ceramic containers for heating.
(Intern Editor: Huang Jiazhen)