Eric Isaac said his sperm count rose 11-fold during a three-month push to reduce plastic at home, a step he and Julie Isaac took after more than five years of trying to conceive.
Their experience became part of the Netflix documentary The Plastic Detox, and the couple welcomed a baby, Rowan.
Here's what to know
A CNN video returned to the Isaacs' story from The Plastic Detox. According to CNN, the documentary followed five couples with unexplained infertility over three months as they worked to cut plastic in their homes.
@cnn Globally, sperm count and overall fertility dropped more than 50% since the 1950s, and the decline appears to be accelerating. One theory: The toxins that leach from plastics may be partly to blame. A Netflix documentary, "The Plastic Detox," followed five couples with unexplained infertility for three months while they reduced levels of plastic in their homes. While not a scientific study, the men's sperm count rose and levels of certain plastics in the blood and urine of each couple dropped during the intervention. Several couples later went on to conceive. However, the link between reducing plastics and improving fertility remains to be proven. CNN's Sandee LaMotte speaks to one of those couples, Eric and Julie Isaac, about their journey to rid their lives of plastics. #infertility #theplasticdetox #netflix #plastics ♬ original sound - CNN
Although it was not a formal scientific study, the documentary documented two changes during the intervention: the men's sperm counts increased, and tests showed lower levels of certain plastics in each couple's blood and urine. Several couples conceived, but that still does not prove that reducing plastic exposure improves fertility.
Eric Isaac's results were especially striking. When asked what happened to his sperm count, he said, "In three months, it went up 11 times."
At one point, the video underscored the couple's diagnosis: "You are technically subfertile. Infertile."
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More background
CNN's caption said sperm counts and overall fertility worldwide are down by more than half from 1950s levels, with the decline appearing to accelerate.
In the video, reproductive researcher Shauna Swan, who worked with Eric and Julie Isaac for the documentary, said: "Fertility worldwide is going down rapidly, and it is tightly linked to chemicals that are commonly used in plastic."
Since the film's three-month effort was not a scientific study, it cannot demonstrate that reducing household plastic will reverse infertility. Researchers continue to study everyday chemical exposure because the possible effects could reach into routines such as what people store food in, clean with, and use on their bodies.
Swan also emphasized that the issue extends beyond any one household. "We should be worried about plastic because it's toxic and there's a lot of it," she said, adding that annual production is around 551 million tons (half a gigaton) — "5,000 fully laden U.S. aircraft carriers" — and is predicted to triple.
What can be done?
For the Isaacs, lowering exposure involved much more than avoiding disposable bottles. The documentary showed Swan helping them spot plastics and related chemicals in everyday products, from kitchen and bathroom items to personal care products.
Tests taken during the three-month intervention showed lower levels of some plastics in the couple's blood and urine. For Eric and Julie Isaac, the process did not bring immediate certainty, but the couple welcomed Rowan.
Users on CNN's post also pointed to a practical barrier: cost. One user said, "They make it nearly impossible to be plastic free unless you are rich." Another added, "It's so expensive to only buy things that come in glass containers it is truly a privilege to be able to live without plastic."
The documentary focused on the most-used products, especially in the kitchen, bathroom, and personal care routine, while users pointed to affordability and access as limits on how far those changes can go.
Swan said, "These chemicals are hacking hormone systems, and it's impacting our sperm and eggs."
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