Endocrine Disruptors in Waste: Unseen Threats to Human Male Reproduction

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-876-9_9How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Environmental waste; Endocrine-disrupting chemicals; Reproductive health; Male fertility

Abstract

Exposure to environmental waste endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been a major concern due to their impact on human health, particularly male fertility. These chemicals, especially those released during the treatment of electronic and industrial waste, disrupt processes involved in hormone production, hormone action, and the regulation of endocrine pathways, leading to reproductive dysfunctions. This review aims to collate the available literature on the use of epidemiological data and animal models to elucidate the effects of environmental waste-derived EDCs on male reproductive health, defining key mechanisms and potential risks. High exposure to these EDCs, such as phthalates, bisphenol A, and heavy metals like cadmium and lead, is associated with poor sperm quality, hormonal regulation, and fertility in males. These chemicals disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking or inhibiting natural hormones, leading to decreased sperm count, altered motility and viability, and hormonal imbalances. Evidence from epidemiological studies, animal models, and in vitro experiments is synthesized to explore mechanisms such as oxidative stress, DNA damage, hormonal interference, and epigenetic modifications. Gaps in the current understanding include long-term and low-dose exposure impacts and mixed chemical interactions. The review underscores the urgent need for regulatory interventions, improved biomonitoring, and future research using advanced models like organoids and longitudinal human studies. In summary, the review underscores the urgent need for regulatory interventions to minimize human exposure to EDCs and calls for further research to clarify the long-term consequences of these chemicals on male fertility.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Sreejita Choudhuri
AU  - Beauty Pandey
AU  - Daya Shankar
AU  - Vishal Anand
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/10/23
TI  - Endocrine Disruptors in Waste: Unseen Threats to Human Male Reproduction
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Science and Technology for Tomorrow (SciTech 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 88
EP  - 104
SN  - 3091-4442
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-876-9_9
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-876-9_9
ID  - Choudhuri2025
ER  -