The fall in fertility of men living in more industrially developed countries has variously been attributed to oestrogen-imitating chemicals in the environment, tight pants and excessive driving times. Oestrogenics are accused of gender-bending. Tight pants, excessive driving times, sedentary jobs and increased usage of saunas have allbeen shown to raise the temperature of the scrotum for long periods - an established cause of reduced fertility.

Plastic-lined disposable nappies now join the 'heated scrotum' team. Tests showed that they could raise scrotum temperature by as much as 1°C. The researchers* feared that this could interfere with reproductive development as well as possibly increasing the risk of testicular cancer in later life. The Absorbent Hygiene Products Manufacturers Association declared the research "flawed", pointing out that the drop in fertility began before the second world war, forty years before disposable nappies were introduced. Henry Marcovitch, editor of the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, defended the paper's publication on the grounds that it was not claiming that disposable nappies were the only cause, but perhaps one of the causes. A larger study is now needed to prove or confirm the hypothesis.

Ed.- Disposable nappies contain substances that are potentially hazardous to babies (see Green Health Watch Magazine 8). One of these is a wetting agent (to stop urine staying on the surface of the nappy) called nonylphenyl ethoxylate, which is now known to be an oestrogenic associated with sex changes in fish and is being phased out in Germany. Disposable nappies also contain the super absorber chemical sodium polyacrylate. This was removed from tampons in 1985 after a link with toxic shock syndrome had been shown. The possibility that it could have adverse effects on babies has not been studied.

ACTION - For the latest information on the hazards of nappies send a stamped addressed A4 envelope with a small donation to: Women's Environmental Network, PO Box 30626, London E1 1TZ Tel.: 0207 4819004

* Wolfgang Sippell and colleagues at Kiel University (Germany)