Could the very air you breathe day-in, day-out be contributing to your level of fertility?  Some researchers are convinced that pollution can cause infertility, especially for females, and they’re doing studies to prove it.

According to The Daily Telegraph, a 7-year study of U.S. women who underwent IVF were tracked.  Each person’s zip code was evaluated for the daily levels of pollution, as determined by the nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the air. 

The conclusion?  For every extra (over and beyond the norm) unit of nitrogen dioxide the women took in during the 7 years, their fertility rates were cut by up to 24%.

So does this mean that women who want to conceive a child through fertility treatments have to move to a more suburban or rural area?  The study’s findings would lean in that direction; however, it’s not a realistic solution for most people.   Besides, there are many other potential reasons for infertility, and although the pollution connection is strong, it is still only hypothetical.