Missed-Conception

We are increasingly awash in a sea of plastic. In the Northern Pacific Ocean, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—an ever-growing mass of marine debris roughly the size of Texas—is comprised of six kilos of plastic* for every kilo of natural plankton. On land, the Ocean Travelers Plastics Gallery at the Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a hauntingly artful depiction of the 300 million tons of plastic produced every year and how they affect our waters. All of the featured art installations are made of found plastic, including a floating model of the Garbage Patch and a 12’ x 8’ Impressionist-style mosaic rendering of the last Japanese tsunami wave.

See related story: Oceans of Plastic

Those trying to conceive may have even more reason for concern: both BPA and BPS are considered “endocrine disruptors,” which may negatively affect hormone levels and estrogen activity. “The big issue is that these chemicals affect our endocrine system, which is responsible for managing glandular health and balancing hormones,” explains Aleksandra Evanguelidi, a licensed midwife and co-owner of L.A.-based Birth Sanctuary.

For women, that can translate to serious hormonal issues—as even limited exposure to BPA and BPS have been proven to curb reproductive activity, since the body mistakes these chemicals for estrogen. “In women, they disrupt the ovulation cycle,” says Stewart Lonky, M.D., author of Invisible Killers. “Studies show that small amounts of these chemicals cause eggs to die before they’ve ovulated; the egg already assumes there won’t be fertilization while it’s still in the ovary.” For men, it’s phthalates that are believed to cause issues with conception, such as decreased testosterone and reduced sperm production.

See related story: Don’t Blame Your Genes

While these and other health ramifications are still being researched, many experts believe it’s increasingly best to be cautious when it comes to plastic—especially for those trying to conceive.

Surprising Sources

For anyone focused on fertility, cutting down on exposure to plastics (and therefore synthetic chemicals) can be a good start—but the question is often where to start, as eliminating plastic from everyday life can be a daunting process. “People want to know: How am I mainlining this stuff into my body?” says Ed Brown, filmmaker of the recent documentary Unacceptable Levels. “There are a lot of different ways to get these chemicals into our bodies, and if you’re not disturbed, you’re not paying attention.”

Food- and beverage-related plastics (such as Tupperware and plastic water bottles) are often targeted as key culprits in leaching BPA and BPS into what we consume, but experts say other means of contamination also deserve awareness. “The majority of toxic exposures come from what we eat, but skin absorption is also a consideration, especially for women,” says Lonky.

On that front, both Lonky and Brown point to personal care products, which typically contain phthalates and/or micro-plastics. “A lot of endocrine disruptors are found in personal care products, which is alarming because [approximately] 60 percent of everything applied to our skin goes directly into the body and becomes systemic,” says Brown, whose research and interview process for Unacceptable Levels spanned the Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Warner Babcock Institute, and Thinkbaby, among others. “[The chemicals from plastic] bypass the stomach and get into the bloodstream much faster.”

Seafood is another area of growing concern. After all, the dangers of mercury content in fish have been well documented, but what about fish that have digested plastic? The problem may be multifaceted, as ocean plastics not only contain synthetic chemicals but also act as a sponge for heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (such as PCBs and flame retardants).

Case in point: a 2013 study at University of California-Davis that monitored three groups of fish—one fed only fish food, one fed 90 percent fish food/10 percent clean polypropylene (a polymer used in plastics), and one fed 90 percent fish food/10 percent “dirty” polypropylene that had been absorbing metals and other pollutants in the San Diego Bay for several months. At the study’s conclusion the second group, which had been fed clean polypropylene, showed liver distress, and the third group was most prone to liver problems and tumors, also displaying significant cell destruction and much higher levels of persistent organic pollutants in their systems.

Sarah-Mae Nelson, a climate change interpretative specialist for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, says the issue is compounded by the process of bioaccumulation. The way she explains it: small fish like sardines consume microscopic pieces of plastic, and when many sardines are eaten by one larger fish (like tuna or mackerel), that fish is then exposed to the cumulative chemical effect—with the phenomenon continuing upward through the food chain.

“It’s the case for a lot of the carnivorous fish in the ocean—like mahi mahi or salmon—and those are the ones people like to eat most, so it’s a concern,” says Nelson. “When you go into a store, you’re typically not buying a whole piece of fish, so you don’t know what was in the gut of that fish before you bought it.”

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Detox R/x

So why are chemicals like BPA, BPS and phthalates potentially so damaging? According to Lonky, part of the problem is that they are fat-soluble rather than water-soluble, so they are stored in fat cells and not as easily excreted by the liver. “Many people are worried about the years of toxins they’ve built up—we call it one’s ‘toxic burden.’ Everyone has one,” says Lonky. “In some cases it will have little, if any, effect [on an individual], but cumulatively on the population, it will have a significant effect.”

Trying to make diligent decisions can also be a challenge. “BPA has basically become the poster child for toxic chemicals with endocrine-destructing properties, but that’s where the aspect of regrettable substitution comes in,” says Brown. “When BPA was banned in baby bottles, many companies started using BPS, which is often more toxic than BPA. That’s when people throw up their hands and say, ‘What am I supposed to do [as a consumer]?”

A good starting point is taking simple steps to lower your toxic burden [see sidebar], as well as active detoxification. When working with clients at Birth Sanctuary, Evanguelidi accomplishes this through methods such as zeolites and chelation therapy, as well as promoting healthy lifestyle choices across the board. “You’re much more likely to get pregnant once you start treating deficiencies and chelating the heavy metals [and toxins] out,” says Evanguelidi. “The reality is that once you give your body the right tools, it will heal itself.”

10 Ways to Lessen Your Toxic Burden

• Buy and use only natural, phthalate-free personal care products and cosmetics. (Visit www.ewg.org/skindeep for resources and safe suggestions.)

• Store food in glass containers rather than plastic, and avoid plastic packaging where possible.

• Cook and microwave food only in glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers.

• Bypass single-use plastics (to-go coffee cups, plastic water bottles and takeout containers) in favor of reusable non-plastic items.

• Seafood lovers should limit intake to no more than twice weekly and try to avoid larger varieties such as tuna, mackerel and swordfish.

• Refuse cash register receipts, most of which are coated with BPA. If your job entails touching receipts, be sure to wear gloves.

• Eat foods containing, or take supplements of quercetin (found in black tea, grapefruit, onions and apples) and black tea extract—both of which have been found to lessen BPA-induced cell toxicity. Royal jelly has also been found to help halt the estrogenic effects of BPA.

• Support companies that make canned foods with BPA-free linings (such as Eden Foods, Native Forest/Native Factor and some Trader Joe’s brand items).

• Take probiotics, which can help reduce plastic-induced toxicity in the body.

• Make a commitment to eliminating plastic wherever possible in your daily life. “Most plastic use started in the 1940s—think about how long humans existed before plastic,” urges Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sarah-Mae Nelson, who has been personally plastic-free since 2011. “We survived for millions of years never needing these products, and now it’s ubiquitous. I approached it like a habit I was trying to break, and I’m so much healthier now.”