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18/06/2014
The study, carried out by a team at Stirling University and published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, discovered that the ratio of boys to girls being born is declining.
Historical records have shown that there are slightly more boys born than girls in the world. However, in Scotland, the number of boys to girls being born has been falling since 1960. The sex ratio was particularly more noticeable in the more industrial parts of central Scotland, the report claimed. Looking at data from 1973 to 2010, the experts found there was a "significant upward skewing" of the sex ration in the Highlands, compared to a downward skewing in the Forth Valley and the Borders areas.
The team, led by Dr Ewan McDonald and Professor Andrew Watterson, studied the trend and found socio-economic background and pollution levels could be to blame.
Their study focused on central Scotland due to it having a mix of heavily industrialised areas, and which also include significant sites of pollution, such as the Longannet coal-fired power station. It also looked at rural areas which have lower pollution levels. The results claimed that the wealthiest communities in the country were still more likely to have boys, but a link to pollution – specifically endocrine disruptor pollution – was evident. Endocrine disruptor pollution comes from substances that, when in certain doses, can affect hormones and cause birth defects or stillbirths.
In the communities where industrial air pollution is the highest, the study found there to be a "significantly lower" sex ratio.
Subsequently, Dr McDonald said the results "indicate that endocrine disruptor pollution in central Scotland may contribute to the national decline in the proportion of male births."
Professor Andrew Watterson added: "We run faster and faster introducing new products and processes, yet we don't properly understand how they may affect us.
"We lack full toxicity data sets on many chemicals in our environment, but proposed Scottish and English developments may introduce more endocrine disruptors.
"Great care is needed in approving and regulating such developments when we lack the necessary information to assess their risks adequately."
(JP/IT)
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Pollution Could Be To Blame For Fewer Boys Being Born
A new report has suggested that pollution could be to blame for a fall in the number of boys being born in Scotland.The study, carried out by a team at Stirling University and published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, discovered that the ratio of boys to girls being born is declining.
Historical records have shown that there are slightly more boys born than girls in the world. However, in Scotland, the number of boys to girls being born has been falling since 1960. The sex ratio was particularly more noticeable in the more industrial parts of central Scotland, the report claimed. Looking at data from 1973 to 2010, the experts found there was a "significant upward skewing" of the sex ration in the Highlands, compared to a downward skewing in the Forth Valley and the Borders areas.
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The team, led by Dr Ewan McDonald and Professor Andrew Watterson, studied the trend and found socio-economic background and pollution levels could be to blame.
Their study focused on central Scotland due to it having a mix of heavily industrialised areas, and which also include significant sites of pollution, such as the Longannet coal-fired power station. It also looked at rural areas which have lower pollution levels. The results claimed that the wealthiest communities in the country were still more likely to have boys, but a link to pollution – specifically endocrine disruptor pollution – was evident. Endocrine disruptor pollution comes from substances that, when in certain doses, can affect hormones and cause birth defects or stillbirths.
In the communities where industrial air pollution is the highest, the study found there to be a "significantly lower" sex ratio.
Subsequently, Dr McDonald said the results "indicate that endocrine disruptor pollution in central Scotland may contribute to the national decline in the proportion of male births."
Professor Andrew Watterson added: "We run faster and faster introducing new products and processes, yet we don't properly understand how they may affect us.
"We lack full toxicity data sets on many chemicals in our environment, but proposed Scottish and English developments may introduce more endocrine disruptors.
"Great care is needed in approving and regulating such developments when we lack the necessary information to assess their risks adequately."
(JP/IT)
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