It is widely acknowledged that our environment is becoming increasingly. contaminated with man-made chemicals. Mammals, as well as lower organisms, are vulnerable to exposure to these agents through a variety of different sources and routes and there are concerns that they may be having a detrimental effect on ecological and population health.
Endocrine disruptord (EDs) have been described as exogenous agents that interfere with the production, release, transport, metabolism, binding, action or elimination of the natural ligands responsible for maintaining homeostasis and regulating body development. Many different EDs are present in the various compartments of the environment (air, water and land) and in foods (of plant and animal origin). They may originate from food packaging, combustion products, plant health treatments, detergents and the chemical industry in general. The potential effects of these compounds on adults, the sensitivity of embryos and fetuses to many of the xenobiotic compounds likely to cross the placenta has raised considerable concern and led to major research efforts.
The deterioration in male reproductive health is at the heart of preoccupations and progress in analyses of the relationship between EDs and human health. This review aims to describe the current state of knowledge about endocrine disruption and its effect on male reproductive system