Chapter 29 Environmental Contaminants and Ovarian Toxicity

Fertility rates in the developed world have declined leading to speculation that exposure to environmental contaminants may contribute to increasing rates of infertility in general and dysregulation of ovarian function in particular. A wide range of environmental contaminants from multiple chemical classes has been measured in human ovarian follicular fluid illustrating that the ovary is a potential target for adverse effects of chemical contaminants. Epidemiological studies link exposure to environmental contaminants with adverse effects on reproductive health suggesting potential effects on the ovary. However, inconsistency across studies, potential confounding, and type I error arising from multiple comparisons suggests only limited evidence that exposure to environmental contaminants are associated with impaired ovarian function and fertility. Experimental animal and tissue culture studies provide support for the biological plausibility of the associations noted in epidemiological studies and elucidate potentially important mechanistic pathways. Taken together, the literature suggests that the human ovary is potentially at risk for toxic effects arising from exposure to environmental contaminants.