Scientist: Tyre Manufacturing By-products Reduce Fertility

Research carried out at Australia’s Newcastle University indicates insecticides and tyre industry by-products could be adversely affecting fertility. Local news sources are reporting that the work found that low doses of certain chemicals can cause eggs to grow prematurely. Researcher Eileen McLaughlin told Australia’s Radio National’s Science Show that means women will run out of eggs at a younger age.

“We’ve discovered that sub-acute doses will actually trigger the eggs prematurely into growing,” she said. “Obviously they are destined to die, they are not going to be ovulated. And this is depleting the population of ovarian follicles in the ovary so effectively the woman will run out of good eggs earlier.”