Last Updated on May 10, 2022 by Shabnam Sengupta
Maybe. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a multifactorial condition, occurring due to environment and gene interaction. There is a high likelihood of having a connection between PCOS and chemicals used in farming and crop production such as pesticides, fertilisers as the environment is a factor responsible for PCOS. Several researches have been done to study this link.
A study cumulated the epidemiological findings published between 2011 and 2016 concerning bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, dioxins, pesticides, air pollution, fracking chemicals, triclosan, and parabens and fertility parameters in men and women.
The review indicated that several environmental toxicants including the chemicals used in farming and crop production are significantly associated with reduced fertility parameters in men and women as well as several reproductive disorders in women.
Although many studies reported that the selected exposures are associated with adverse fertility outcomes, several studies reported null associations.
Another research states the similar, i.e., exposure to environmental toxicants can increase the risk of PCOS through increased oxidative stress and endocrine disruption. Expression level of genes involved in reducing the toxicity may be affected due to variants of the genes. The toxicants also produce epigenetic alteration (modifications to the physical structure of DNA) in the functionally significant genes linked to PCOS.
Thus, future studies are still needed to gain a better understanding about associations and potential mechanisms between these environmental chemicals and fertility outcomes in men and women.
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