Monthly Archives: August 2017

Dr. Shanna Swan’s Research was featured in NYT Article

On August 16, 2017, Dr. Shanna Swan’s research was highlighted in the New York Times article, “Sperm Count in Western Men Has Dropped Over 50 Percent Since 1973, Paper Finds.” Dr. Swan’s research study “Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis”, which was featured in the NYT article, looks at the decline of sperm count in Western countries. By examining thousands of studies and conducting a meta-analysis of 185 — the most comprehensive effort to date — an international team of researchers ultimately looked at semen samples from 42,935 men from 50 countries from 1973 to 2011. They found that sperm concentration — the number of sperm per milliliter of semen — had declined each year, amounting to a 52.4 percent total decline, in men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Total sperm count among the same group also tumbled each year for a total decline of 59.3 percent over the nearly 40-year period. To read the article click here.

P30 Center Member’s Maganese Paper highlighted as CEHN Article of the Month

Center Director, Dr. Robert Wright, and several collaborators from Harvard’s P30 Center collaborated on a paper entitled “Maternal and Cord Blood Manganese Concentrations and Early Childhood Neurodevelopment among Residents near a Mining-Impacted Superfund Site” that was featured as The August Article of the Month (AOM) by the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN). The study examined the connection between prenatal manganese exposure and neurodevelopmental deficits in children living near a Superfund site. Elevated levels of manganese is believed to be caused by the proximity to the Superfund site. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund Program cleans up hazardous waste and protects our nation’s vulnerable populations—it must be well-funded to continue this vital work. Check out the entire August Article of the Month for more information!