NIH-Funded Study To Research Phthalates and Fertility
Exposure to the chemicals has already been linked to lower birth weights.
“Consumer contamination” is a rising concern in the modern world. Most of the food we eat now contains microplastics; much of the water we drink contains PFAS “forever chemicals”.
These compounds, initially made for consumer products, are now in our blood and organs – and their cumulative effect on our health is still not fully understood.
One research project trying to help change that is based at the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences.
The researchers recently announced they had received a $2.8 million grant from the US National Institutes of Health to study the potential effects phthalates could be having on human fertility.
What are phthalates?
Phthalates are a group of chemicals primarily used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics, but they can also be found in cosmetics like nail polish and deodorant.
Their malleability makes them ideal for industrial applications, but their role as endocrine (hormone) disruptors has given human health researchers pause for concern.
One meta-analysis of existing studies, published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety in 2024, found that maternal exposure to phthalates may increase the risk adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as a higher miscarriage rate and lower birth weights.
Following on from this research foundation, the University of Arizona’s study aims to confirm long-term exposure to phthalates causality in female infertility and explore how phthalates may increase harmful fatty acids in ovarian follicles and disrupt cellular energy metabolism.
“When you look at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, women consistently show higher levels of specific phthalates than men,” Zelieann Craig, the study’s principal investigator and associate professor in the university’s School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, said.
“The ongoing hypothesis is that women are exposed to more products that contain phthalates,” Craig said. “Perfumes, cosmetics and personal care items are one piece, but medications like those for IBS or Crohn's, which are conditions more prevalent in women, could also be a source.”
Craig's previous research concentrated on Dibutyl phthalate, a particularly pervasive phthalate that showed higher exposure levels in women. Her new study shifts focus to phthalate mixtures that more accurately reflect real-world human exposure.
“We already know that women with higher phthalate levels are more likely to have a low egg count and lower ovulation rates,” she said. “Now we're going deeper, identifying which cell types and molecular pathways are affected.”
Beyond studying the effects of phthalate exposure, Craig has long-term goals to investigate ways to stop or even reverse bodily contamination.
“There are environmental exposures that get into our bodies – phthalates being one of them – and they increase our risk for infertility,” she said. “This work is about finding out exactly how that's happening, so we can figure out how to stop it and help people recover their fertility.”
In the meantime, Craig stressed that an individual’s level of phthalate exposure can still be controlled to a degree using an “environmental chemical budget.”
“I always tell people: if you're using products with fragrance, look for ones that say they’re free of phthalates,” she said. “If the label calls out sulfates and parabens but doesn't mention phthalates – they might still be in there.”
This article is a rework of a press release issued by the University of Arizona. Material has been edited for length and content.
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