Exposure to particular environmental pollutants during adolescence could potentially lead to reproductive problems in men years later, according to a new study cited in a press release from the George Washington University. Teenagers who had been exposed to pollutants known as organochlorines were found to have defective sperm.

Diets with lots of meat, dairy and fatty fish were found to be the main source of exposure to these pollutants. Organochlorine was used as pesticide since 1960s but has been phased out in Australia in 1997. However, the researchers of the study said that these chemicals are still present in the soil and water in some places. They added that there are still some tropical countries that use the chemicals.

Researchers from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University said that the study is the first to analyse the link between exposure to the harmful chemicals in the teenage years and the sperm abnormalities that cause problems in fertility later in life.

The finding comes from the analysis of sperm and blood samples of 90 men from The Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. Most people in the island consume seafood-rich diet, including pilot whale meat and blubber, which has been found to promote higher-than-average exposures to organochlorine pollutants.

The pollutants include the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the metabolite of the DDT insecticide. The researchers also analysed the sperm disomy, the presence of abnormal number of chromosomes in the sperm cells, in the participants.

Results showed that men with higher levels of PCBs and DDT metabolite have higher rates of sperm disomy. Participants with higher levels of organochlorine chemicals in their blood also appeared to have the same kind of sperm abnormalities.

The researchers said that further studies are needed to support their findings. However, they suggest that people avoid exposure to the chemicals by reducing food high in animal fats and by choosing fish wisely.

"We need more research to find out how these organochlorine pollutants may be affecting the maturation of the testicles and their function," said lead author Melissa Perry, a professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Milken Institute SPH.

Perry said that the findings could help raise issues for policymakers to look into regulations regarding the use of pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals. "This study, and others like it, suggest that any decisions about putting biologically active chemicals into the environment must be made very carefully as there can be unanticipated consequences down the road."

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