“Hormone disrupting chemicals can effect male fertility and lower sperm count”, a recent article published in the Daily Telegraph quoting from The American Journal of the Chemical Society, Environmental Science and Technology.
Chemicals found in household dust and washing machines called Phthalates can act as Endocrine disruptors or false Oestrogens.
These chemicals are trapped in clothing which are then released into the washing machine water before being swept into waste water, sewage and rivers, lakes and the sea.
Endocrine disruptors can be defined as any chemical agent that can alter normal endocrine activity leading to deleterious effects on the organism or its progeny.
Phthalates are used as flame retardants and in making plastics flexible. Dry cleaning clothes can result in phthalates being trapped in the clothing.
Women with a high concentration of Phthalates suffer low sex drive.
Xenobiotics or false Oestrogens have been implicated as one of the possible causes of Prostate and Breast Cancer. (Ref. Molecular and cell Endocrinology, Graeme Williams Dec. 2012)
Environmental toxins are often stored in fat cells, losing weight and sweating are possible ways of reducing environmental toxins.