Chemicals used to make plastics flexible and stabilise fragrances in personal care products can impair female fertility, according to a new MERLON review study. Phthalates, known endocrine disruptors, are used across everyday products from food packaging to cosmetics and leach into the environment exposing people to these chemicals. They have been found in almost all urine and ovarian follicular fluid samples (80-100%) collected in Europe and the United States.
Tuesday 23 June 2026
Phthalates and fertility
Phthalate exposure is linked to reduced fertility in women, according to the paper published in FEBS Letters.Studies of women undergoing invitrofertilisation show higher phthalate levels in follicular fluid are associated with fewer eggs, lower egg quality, and poorer response to hormone stimulation. These factors all reduce the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Meanwhile women's fertility may be declining earlier due to sustained phthalate exposure. Evidence suggests that phthalates can accelerate the depletion of the ovarian reserve – the finite number of eggs a woman is born with – and have been associated with an earlier onset of menopause by up to 3.8 years. Because women in the EU are now having children later (on average at nearly 30 years of age), eggs are exposed to these chemicals for longer before conception is attempted.
How these chemicals impact reproductive health
Phthalates disrupt hormone production (particularly oestrogen and progesterone), increase inflammation and oxidative stress, and alter gene expression in the cells that support egg development. Together, these effects compromise the health and function of ovarian follicles. Despite these health concerns, global production of phthalates is still steadily rising with current levels exceeding 5.5 million tons annually.
Regulating chemicals to protect women's health
Regulation has not kept up with the latest scientific evidence.Safety thresholds for phthalates are based on the effects on male reproductive development, while health impacts in women receive less attention. "Current regulatory standards are missing a crucial opportunity to protect women's health from phthalates, as they do not account for sex-specific or age-specific vulnerabilities." says Agne Velthut-Meikas, Associate professor at Tallinn University of Technology and last author of this publication.
