Document oy5gpgdEpaQ68a1Bzp32E153

SF i* 'I \Q73 From DON WALLS Although further study is needed. chemist from Florida Slat* University ays tha sperm doosity appears to ho declining ia American awn and Uw blaoM cao ha placid on tha Iodic substances m tha anviroomant. Or. laiph Dougherty said his rasaarch findings, apparently tha first of their hind, are preiMaani and regatta offensive study. However, tha data suggest that a problem eiists and it should b* mm- mod. ' "We ought to investigate tha causes of the decline." he said during hisidport to a notional meeting of the ^American Chemical Society held in Washington. DC II loch a problem expands then it a grave threat to tho population of American males in general and procrea tion worldwide particularly. It would prompt the U.S. Government to sot up a cornnisiton to enforce ail able males to make daily deposits of sperm in "state" bonis and probably someone lib* Jerry lewis nr lort Parts or Farrah-fawcott Motors would host tatethons on televi sion to plead with the mete populelion Optimists, Rotarians, Cihs. the VFW. ft ml. urging their members to donate deposits an moaoe to prevent human ealisctien. Urologists from around the country mould be celled apen t* perform o multitude of reverse vasectomies. Dougherty said his study of semen samples from 132 volunteer decors at Florida State shows a correlation be tween tone industrial compounds called PC9. m polychlorinated biphenyls, in the seminal fluid and decreased sperm ' density. PCCs sre ssed primarily in the manufacture of electrical transformers and capacitors. Several years ago tho oviroMRontai danger caused PCIs production to be curtailed. | In addition to PCIe, Dougherty swd. the semen of the Flprido State itu^l/ studied wae contaminated h> Pent* ehterophoool, Hosochlorobenttno and compounds resulting from metabolism of DOT Other enideatifiad compounds else mere found. He said toaic eubstences ad en sp*im I density by dKreesing the rate of coil division. It tabes at least eight cell divi sions to product s singte sperm, be said, so sobttonett that inhibit cell division con Dave a dramatic affect on sperm density. Dougherty, whose research is sup ported by the National Institute of environmental Health Sciences, said most chemicals that affectydMydivisten also cm cause cancer to'Prfnmlf. He said there have been several raports in Hit scientific literature in Curope and Japan as well as the United States suggesting -- but not proving -- that soorm density has decreased during f the last 30 years. . A 1929 study found a distribution : maximum of 100 million sperm per | milliliter ol fluid, he said, white o 1973 ; study found the greatest number of donors hod a density of SO million per milliliter. In tha Florida State study conducted during the past year, more students -- 23 per cent - ked i density of 20 million per milliliter than any other density Many specialists. Dougherty said, consider such o density to bo evidence ot sterility. Ho cautioned, (here is reason to believe that students in general have lower sperm densities due to sociofogicol and behavioral factors such ss increased stress and increased sexual activity. Dougherty said ptens art now in tha verbs to study other groups, portieularty workers in factories whore PCIt have been used, to manure sperm densities end look for an environmental causa. While the malt (homoo) animal Dm caufo to sited o tew crocodUe tears oust his procreative fate, the eMgrtor ado teems to be in need of help from becoming tomorrow's soup maul end shoe leather. ' The first louisiana alllgater hunt m 21 years got underpay lost wool, and stete officials said about (00 hunters war* Out Johnnie Tenor of the I mite-- Wildlife and fisheries Oopartmsat said federal rules for rntimstionol trade ip the shies hove yet to bop scoffing ot estimates of 930 a teat "The govoramont is gping to put sttputettens on the tradt. and the buyers don't home what those stipulations are." Tarvar said the govaramMt shauld publish its guidaiinas in the fodanf Register by the and of September. Tarver said j family of trappan *-- Plaquemines Parish bag* 10 aWg Toraar said hundreds of other spurtsmen were out ip Cameron. CMsastea and Vermilion Perishes, where Wo test tent hunt was conducted two yean op. A statewide hunt has not baM r~tflinid srnce 1951 because alNgamn were Tarver said tha federal govemmiat love its final approval to tho attipter hunt, which will last through October 7. G HONS 008968