Glyphosate Decreases Quality and Quantity of Sperm Production, New Chinese Study Shows

A January 2022 study from Chinese scientists published in Environment International on glyphosate shows how glyphosate decreases sperm quality and quantity. The study was designed to "investigate the influence of glyphosate on the BTB (blood testis barrier) in vivo and in vitro experiments."

Titled "Glyphosate damages blood-testis barrier via NOX1-triggered oxidative stress in rats: Long-term exposure as a potential risk for male reproductive health," the research team found that, 

"male rats exposed to glyphosate for 4 months exhibited a decrease in sperm quality and quantity, accompanied by BTB integrity disruption and testicular oxidative stress."

The scientists wrote in their paper that glyphosate, "is easily transported to surrounding ecosystems, leading to soil, water, and crop contamination. Furthermore, GLY enters into the bodies of animals and human through food chain, imposing a health risk on the public health."

In the study, in which rats were fed glyphosate in feed,  the authors wrote, "glyphosate residues were detected in serum (0.035 ± 0.010 and 0.146 ± 0.023 μg/mL, respectively) and testis (0.002 ± 0.001 and 0.016 ± 0.006 μg/g, separately) in both exposure groups (Fig. S1C), indicating that glyphosate is indeed present in the testis and affects testicular function."