Effects of physical forces on the reproductive cycle. Council on Scientific Affairs
The Council on Scientific Affairs is aware that physicians, as well as the
public in general, have expressed increasing concerns regarding the
possible adverse effects of various physical forces on the reproductive
organs. Various channels of public communication report anecdotal episodes
of suspected cause-and-effect relationships between various physical
elements in the environment and harmful effects on reproduction. Many of
these episodes have not been substantiated by acceptable scientific
research. However, some reports have appeared in the scientific literature
that do document adverse reproductive effects on humans and animals at
certain levels of some physical forces. At levels above 3,636 m (12,000
ft), adverse reproductive effects have been observed in men and women, in
the conceptus, and in certain species of animals. Hyperthermia in excess of
40 degrees C may affect the man and the conceptus, as well as the
reproductive capacity of certain animals. However, adverse effects of
hypothermia have been observed only in animals. Ionizing radiation can
cause injury to the man, woman, and conceptus and to animals, depending on
dose and duration of exposure. There have been no well-documented injurious
effects to the human reproductive organs resulting from
radiofrequency-microwave radiation, but there have been some reports in
animals that attributed untoward reproductive limitations to thermal
effects. To date, there have been no reports in the scientific literature
to implicate electronic and magnetic fields, gravity and acceleration,
noise, optical radiation (UV, visible, infrared, and lasers), ultrasound,
or vibration as having harmful effects on reproduction in either humans or
animals. There is need for more well-designed and controlled studies to be
performed in all of these areas of exposure at maximum-tolerated levels to
physical force before it can be determined with certainty that no ill
effects will accrue to the reproductive cycle, especially in assessing
harmful effects from low-level exposure during long periods of time.
