Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 1996 Oct;104(10):1090–1095. doi: 10.1289/ehp.104-1469503

Exposure to pesticides and cryptorchidism: geographical evidence of a possible association.

J García-Rodríguez 1, M García-Martín 1, M Nogueras-Ocaña 1, J de Dios Luna-del-Castillo 1, M Espigares García 1, N Olea 1, P Lardelli-Claret 1
PMCID: PMC1469503  PMID: 8930551

Abstract

Synthetic hormone-disrupting chemicals may play a role in the increased frequency of cryptorchidism observed in some studies. We used a spatial ecological design to search for variations in orchidopexy rates in the province of Granada in Spain and to search for relationships between these differences and geographical variations in exposure to pesticides. Orchidopexy rates were estimated for the period from 1980 to 1991 in all municipalities and health care districts served by the University of Granada Hospital. A random sample of males of the same age (1-16 years) admitted for any reason during the same period was used to estimate inpatient control rates. Each municipality was assigned to one of four levels of pesticide use. We used Poisson homogeneity tests to detect significant differences in rates of orchidopexy between districts and between levels of pesticide use. Poisson and logistic regression models were also used to estimate the strength of association between orchidopexy and level of pesticide use. Orchidopexy rates tended to be higher in districts near the Mediterranean coast where intensive farming is widespread. The city of Granada, where the reference hospital is located, also had higher figures both for orchidopexy and inpatient control rates. Regression models showed that the strength of association between orchidopexy and level of pesticide use tended to increase with higher levels of use, with the exception of level 0 (mainly in the city of Granada). Our results are compatible with a hypothetical association between exposure to hormone-disruptive chemicals and the induction of cryptorchidism. Several methodological limitations in the design make it necessary to evaluate the results with caution.

Full text

PDF
1094

Images in this article

1091Figure 1.
on p.1091
1092Figure 2.
on p.1092
1092Figure 3.
on p.1092

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adami H. O., Bergström R., Möhner M., Zatoński W., Storm H., Ekbom A., Tretli S., Teppo L., Ziegler H., Rahu M. Testicular cancer in nine northern European countries. Int J Cancer. 1994 Oct 1;59(1):33–38. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910590108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bendvold E. Semen quality in Norwegian men over a 20-year period. Int J Fertil. 1989 Nov-Dec;34(6):401–404. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berkowitz G. S., Lapinski R. H., Dolgin S. E., Gazella J. G., Bodian C. A., Holzman I. R. Prevalence and natural history of cryptorchidism. Pediatrics. 1993 Jul;92(1):44–49. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berkowitz G. S., Lapinski R. H., Godbold J. H., Dolgin S. E., Holzman I. R. Maternal and neonatal risk factors for cryptorchidism. Epidemiology. 1995 Mar;6(2):127–131. doi: 10.1097/00001648-199503000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bicknell R. J., Herbison A. E., Sumpter J. P. Oestrogenic activity of an environmentally persistent alkylphenol in the reproductive tract but not the brain of rodents. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1995 Jul;54(1-2):7–9. doi: 10.1016/0960-0760(95)00118-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carlsen E., Giwercman A., Keiding N., Skakkebaek N. E. Evidence for decreasing quality of semen during past 50 years. BMJ. 1992 Sep 12;305(6854):609–613. doi: 10.1136/bmj.305.6854.609. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chilvers C., Pike M. C., Forman D., Fogelman K., Wadsworth M. E. Apparent doubling of frequency of undescended testis in England and Wales in 1962-81. Lancet. 1984 Aug 11;2(8398):330–332. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92697-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Colborn T., vom Saal F. S., Soto A. M. Developmental effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wildlife and humans. Environ Health Perspect. 1993 Oct;101(5):378–384. doi: 10.1289/ehp.93101378. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Depue R. H. Maternal and gestational factors affecting the risk of cryptorchidism and inguinal hernia. Int J Epidemiol. 1984 Sep;13(3):311–318. doi: 10.1093/ije/13.3.311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Forman D., Møller H. Testicular cancer. Cancer Surv. 1994;19-20:323–341. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Giwercman A., Skakkebaek N. E. The human testis--an organ at risk? Int J Androl. 1992 Oct;15(5):373–375. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01351.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Huhtaniemi I. Fetal testis--a very special endocrine organ. Eur J Endocrinol. 1994 Jan;130(1):25–31. doi: 10.1530/eje.0.1300025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hutson J. M., Williams M. P., Fallat M. E., Attah A. Testicular descent: new insights into its hormonal control. Oxf Rev Reprod Biol. 1990;12:1–56. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Irvine D. S. Falling sperm quality. BMJ. 1994 Aug 13;309(6952):476–476. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6952.476. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Krishnan A. V., Stathis P., Permuth S. F., Tokes L., Feldman D. Bisphenol-A: an estrogenic substance is released from polycarbonate flasks during autoclaving. Endocrinology. 1993 Jun;132(6):2279–2286. doi: 10.1210/endo.132.6.8504731. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mably T. A., Bjerke D. L., Moore R. W., Gendron-Fitzpatrick A., Peterson R. E. In utero and lactational exposure of male rats to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. 3. Effects on spermatogenesis and reproductive capability. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1992 May;114(1):118–126. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(92)90103-y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Marshall E. Epidemiology. Search for a killer: focus shifts from fat to hormones. Science. 1993 Jan 29;259(5095):618–621. doi: 10.1126/science.8430308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Morgenstern H. Ecologic studies in epidemiology: concepts, principles, and methods. Annu Rev Public Health. 1995;16:61–81. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pu.16.050195.000425. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Reijnders P. J. Reproductive failure in common seals feeding on fish from polluted coastal waters. Nature. 1986 Dec 4;324(6096):456–457. doi: 10.1038/324456a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sharpe R. M. Declining sperm counts in men--is there an endocrine cause? J Endocrinol. 1993 Mar;136(3):357–360. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.1360357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sharpe R. M., Fisher J. S., Millar M. M., Jobling S., Sumpter J. P. Gestational and lactational exposure of rats to xenoestrogens results in reduced testicular size and sperm production. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Dec;103(12):1136–1143. doi: 10.1289/ehp.951031136. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sharpe R. M., Skakkebaek N. E. Are oestrogens involved in falling sperm counts and disorders of the male reproductive tract? Lancet. 1993 May 29;341(8857):1392–1395. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90953-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Skakkebaek N. E., Keiding N. Changes in semen and the testis. BMJ. 1994 Nov 19;309(6965):1316–1317. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6965.1316. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Soto A. M., Chung K. L., Sonnenschein C. The pesticides endosulfan, toxaphene, and dieldrin have estrogenic effects on human estrogen-sensitive cells. Environ Health Perspect. 1994 Apr;102(4):380–383. doi: 10.1289/ehp.94102380. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Soto A. M., Justicia H., Wray J. W., Sonnenschein C. p-Nonyl-phenol: an estrogenic xenobiotic released from "modified" polystyrene. Environ Health Perspect. 1991 May;92:167–173. doi: 10.1289/ehp.9192167. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Spitz M. R., Sider J. G., Pollack E. S., Lynch H. K., Newell G. R. Incidence and descriptive features of testicular cancer among United States whites, blacks, and Hispanics, 1973-1982. Cancer. 1986 Oct 15;58(8):1785–1790. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19861015)58:8<1785::aid-cncr2820580836>3.0.co;2-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wilkinson T. J., Colls B. M., Schluter P. J. Increased incidence of germ cell testicular cancer in New Zealand Maoris. Br J Cancer. 1992 May;65(5):769–771. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1992.162. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. de Cock J., Westveer K., Heederik D., te Velde E., van Kooij R. Time to pregnancy and occupational exposure to pesticides in fruit growers in The Netherlands. Occup Environ Med. 1994 Oct;51(10):693–699. doi: 10.1136/oem.51.10.693. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES