If you 're having trouble getting pregnant or have suffered a miscarriage , some common household products may be partly to blame , new research suggests . This week , scientists at the annual conference of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in Boston are presenting research linking chemical compounds in our environment to fertility issues . In several different studies , researchers met with healthy couples who were trying to have a baby and tested them for BPA and phthalates . BPA stands for Bisphenol A , a chemical used to make certain plastics and resins that are used in containers . BPA is also used in the coating of metal products , such as food cans , bottle tops and water supply lines , according to the Food and Drug Administration . Some studies have even found BPA in cash register receipts . Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break . They are used in products such as detergents , beauty products and children 's toys . People are also exposed to phthalates by eating and drinking from containers containing them , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Previous studies -- primarily in rodents -- have linked BPA exposure to many health problems , including reproductive disorders , but at this point the FDA says that it has `` carefully assessed these studies and finds no convincing evidence to support that belief . '' Phthalates have been linked to health issues such as male sexual development and attention-deficit disorder in children . `` It 's not clear what effect , if any , phthalates have on health , '' the FDA says , noting that there is insufficient evidence of harmful effects to take regulatory action . BPA may reduce sperm count . More evidence may be on the way . One study presented at the conference looked at 501 couples who were trying to become pregnant . The couples in the study were interviewed and examined and provided urine samples to measure their BPA and phthalate levels . They also kept journals about intercourse , menstrual cycles and pregnancy tests . Researchers found that the men -- but not women -- with high phthalate concentrations experienced a 20 % decline in fertility and took longer to get their partners pregnant than men with lower concentrations . Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors , meaning they interfere with our hormone systems , said American Society of Reproductive Medicine President Linda Giudice , who was not involved in the research . If a couple is having trouble getting pregnant , they should try to minimize the male 's exposure to phthalates , Giudice says . `` Phthalates are anti-androgens , and other studies have shown that environmental levels of phthalates in infertile men correlate with increased rates of sperm DNA damage , low sperm counts and abnormal sperm , '' she said . In another smaller study presented at the conference , 114 women were asked to give blood samples four or five weeks into their pregnancies . The samples were n't tested for BPA until after the women gave birth to live babies or after they had a miscarriage if it occurred in the first trimester . Sixty-eight of the pregnancies ended in miscarriages . Researchers concluded that women who had high levels of BPA in their blood were at `` significantly increased risk of miscarriage compared to women with the lowest levels . '' They believe that more research on how this chemical affects pregnancy is urgently needed . `` We expected BPA exposure to be associated with an increased risk of aneuploidy ( genetic defects in ) miscarriages because of animal studies linking BPA exposure with chromosome abnormalities in eggs , '' study author Dr. Ruth Bunker Lathi said . `` ( But ) we found BPA was higher in both chromosomally normal and abnormal miscarriages . '' BPA may be linked to childhood obesity . Lathi suggests that the BPA `` may be acting in other ways to cause miscarriages . We just do n't know the mechanism at this time . '' Researchers say they do n't know why certain women in the study had higher BPA levels ; they did not ask whether the women were doing specific things like leaving their plastic water bottles outside in the heat , something thought to increase BPA levels in the water dramatically . It 's not routine to do BPA testing in patients who are struggling to carry a child to term , said Dr. Dorothy Mitchell-Leef , a fertility expert at Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta who was not involved in the research . But , she says , studies like this further highlight the impact the environment can have on fertility and miscarriage . `` It gives you one more thing to ask the patients about when you see unexplained miscarriages in patients . '' Neither study showed an actual cause and effect . But Giudice says there are ways to minimize exposure to BPA if parents are worried . She advises against leaving plastic water bottles in the car , microwaving plastic containers , eating canned foods and touching paper receipts that contain BPA . The FDA also warns against putting very hot or boiling liquid in plastic containers made with BPA if you plan to consume the water . That 's because BPA levels rise in food when containers or products made with the chemical are heated and come in contact with the food , according to the agency . For that reason , the FDA also no longer allows BPA in plastic used to make baby bottles and toddler cups .
Research on BPA , phthalates presented at reproductive medicine conference . Score: 6 High phthalate levels linked to 20 % decline of fertility in men .