Early results from a larger, ongoing study at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that phthalate levels in expectant fathers have an effect on couples’ reproductive success via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA. Details appear in the current issue of Human Reproduction, a monthly journal of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology published by Oxford Journals. Phthalates are compounds found in plastics and personal care products such as shaving cream. This investigate the influence of phthalate exposure on sperm epigenetics, embryo development and whether DNA methylation in sperm cells may be a path by which a father’s environmental exposure influences these endpoints.
— source umass.edu 2017-09-25