A group of researchers lead by Shanna Swan, an environmental epidemiologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, have found that sperm counts are declining among men in the “Western” world. The researchers implicate several classes of chemicals, including so-called “forever chemicals” such as PFAS, for the decline in sperm. (For my readers in the State of Michigan, note that our state is a PFAS hotspot.)
This might be stating the obvious, but if sperm counts plummet too far, men will become sterile.
Activist Erin Brockovich addresses the issue in her opinion piece in The Guardian.
Meanwhile, researchers at Harvard University found flaws in Swan’s analysis, arguing that the emphasis on “Western” sperm count is misplaced. The Harvard researchers also note that Swan’s research has been used by far-right groups to advance their arguments that Western civilization is in decline (which says absolutely nothing about the validity of Swan’s research—just because a certain group uses or misuses research does not invalidate that research).
A story on the subsequent Harvard research.