Air pollution has an impact on fertility and the quality of pregnancy

Translation

Jana DRONSKÁ, reporter:
"Air pollution has an effect on fertility and the quality of pregnancy as stems from expert studies summed-up by prominent US toxicologist Ted Schettler in the book Generation at Risk. It has been presented in Ostrava today together with an index of the greatest polluters emitting substances affecting pregnancy. Mostly enterprises from the Moravian-Silesian region are represented in this index."

Marta PILAŘOVÁ, editor:
"The Generation at Risk, as the US expert points out, is the population of heavily polluted areas. For 20 years scientists have been observing a decrease in the population of fish, birds and reptiles due to industrial emissions; according to up-to-date research the same is true for people. And the game is not over, even when conception is successful, Ted Schettler states"

Ted SCHETTLER, Science Director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, USA:
"Children with brain malfunction are being born more frequently; therefore considerable problems with learning and concentration occur. They might be born with under-developed reproductive organs which cause problems with the conception of their own descendants in the future."

Marta PILAŘOVÁ, editor:
"Especially citizens from Zlín and the Moravian-Silesian region are mostly at risk. This emerges from the index drawn up by the NGO Arnika – according to data from the Integrated Pollution Register (IRZ)."

Jindřich PETRLÍK, leader of the campaign “A Toxics Free Future”, Arnika:
"There are three plants in the Moravian-Silesian region which are among the first five greatest polluters; however DEZA Valašské Meziříčí in the Zlín region is the leader of the whole table"

Marta PILAŘOVÁ, editor:
"DEZA, Valašské Meziříčí did not want to put forward its views on Arnika´s register. BorsoChem MCHZ, Ostrava responded in writing."

The Editor /pronouncement – Přemysl ANTECKÝ, executive and manufacturing director, BorsodChem MCHZ Ostrava/:
"The position of our company (in the above-mentioned index) reflects the fact that we are one of the few chemical companies in the Czech Republic where benzene is handled, under strictly controlled conditions, entirely in accordance with EC and Czech legislation."

Marta PILAŘOVÁ, editor:
"According to the Regional Hygiene Station, a summary of the statistics of infertility development does not exist, therefore we have to rely on the experience of hospital departments and specialized clinics. One of them, which already been active in Ostrava for fifteen years, has observed a twenty-five-percent increase in the number of infertile couples."

Ivana BROŽOVÁ, matron, Gyncentrum Ostrava, s.r.o.:
"The reason for high number of infertile couples is particularly in a decrease in male spermatozoa by approximately two per cent annually."

Marta PILAŘOVÁ, editor:
"And what to do about prevention? Clean technologies for industry do exist, it is necessary to place pressure on enterprises to install them, Ted Schettler said."

Ted SCHETTLER, Science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, USA:
"It is desirable to clean up our homes and municipalities, not to migrate somewhere else so as to behave there in exactly the same way."

Marta PILAŘOVÁ, editor:
"Likewise one´s lifestyle has a great impact on fertility, especially smoking. The smoker on unhealthy “junk food” who does not do any sport can hardly blame a factory behind his or her window for his or her problems. All experts agree on this fact."