Avoid anything advertised as “nonstick,” and engage in other healthy behaviors to boost sperm counts.

Coming up short: Men who are exposed to nonstick chemicals may end up with lower sperm counts, a new study suggests.

05-13-09 RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Teflon, Gore-Tex, and all the other finishes that keep water from sticking to our raincoats and food from sticking to our pans may be suppressing men’s sperm counts, suggests a new study. Many of these coatings are manufactured with chemicals called perfluoroalkyl acids, (PFAAs), the two most common of which are perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). A new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives adds credence to the possibility that these modern conveniences are making it harder to make babies.

THE DETAILS: Danish researchers analyzed semen samples from 105 men, average age 19, for the presence of 10 PFAA chemicals, including PFOA and PFOS, and sperm quality. These chemicals were found in all the samples, but the men with high levels of PFOS and PFOA had half the number of normal sperm of the men with lower levels. This study was only a small sampling, and the authors write that a larger study needs to be done in order to validate their findings.

As we reported last month, another recent study found that women with the highest levels of these chemicals in their blood took longer to become pregnant. A few years ago, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found high levels of PFOA and PFOS in public drinking water supplies, even though there wasn’t an obvious contamination source, such as a chemical manufacturing plant, nearby. The good news: 3M, the only U.S. manufacturer of PFOS, stopped making it in 2005, and 3M scientists claim they’re already seeing a reduction in environmental PFOS levels. Earlier this month the international Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants proposed a worldwide ban on it. Manufacturers of PFOA are phasing out production of that chemical as well; they’ll cut production by 95 percent next year and stop producing it entirely by 2015.

WHAT IT MEANS: Though they may not like to admit it, men are just as susceptible to chemicals in the environment as women. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that men are more likely than women to harbor high levels of PFOA and PFOS.

Until production of these chemicals tapers off, men who are concerned about their sperm count can try this:

• Be selective about using “nonstick” products. That goes for pots and pans, stain-proof couches, and even water-resistant camping gear and guitar strings. All these finishes are made with PFOA, and although there may not be any residual levels of PFOA in the final products, buying them still supports industries that manufacture and use chemicals that could later wind up in your drinking water. Some companies have started making nonstick pans with safer ceramic finishes, so if a pan is advertised as “nonstick,” ask the manufacturer what the finish is made of.

• Make your own pizza and popcorn; ditch the egg sandwiches and chicken nuggets. By some estimates, the wax paper used in pizza delivery boxes and other fast-food wrappers, and the linings used in microwave popcorn bags, can account for as much as 20 percent of our exposure to PFOA. A 2006 study in Canada tested fast foods for PFOA residues and found the highest concentrations in egg breakfast sandwiches, french fries, chicken nuggets, and fish burgers. Fast food also leads to high blood sugar and exposes you to high levels of processed soy, both of which weaken sperm. (By the way, you don’t need “microwave” popcorn to make popcorn in a microwave oven. Just toss ordinary popcorn kernels in a paper sack or a bowl with a loose lid, and nuke ’em. Watch our video to learn how to make your own.)

• Have sex…often. Australian researchers have found that sperm weaken the longer they sit idle.

• Hit the gym. Exercising won’t eliminate PFOA or PFOS from your body, but it can boost sperm counts. And exercise reduces stress, which is another fertility foe.