There are over 100,000 chemicals in use in the EU that are found in many household products ,including plastic softeners used in childrens’ toys, and artificial scents found in air fresheners. Very little is known about the effect of these on human health and the environment. A new €2.9 million EU-funded project aims to address some of this deficit in knowledge by examining the effect of everyday chemicals on female fertility. The project is one of three belonging to the €10 million Network for Environmental Chemical Toxicants Affecting Reproduction (NECTAR), and is called Reproductive Effects of Environmental Chemicals in Females (REEF).

The effect of chemicals on Male fertility has been the subject of much interest in recent years; however, this will be the first time that female fertility has been examined. Over the next three years REEF will study how chemicals are passed from mother to foetus. Although these chemicals do not yet appear to have affected the fertility of animals, there is mounting evidence that future generations could have problems due to their exposure to environmental chemicals in the womb.

You can read more stories like this one in the July issue of European RTD Insight.