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Chemicals in everyday products including toothpaste, soap and sunscreen could be damaging men�s fertility, researchers warn. For the first time, a study has directly linked common household chemicals with damage to human sperm. The scientists said that the �ubiquitous� chemicals may be contributing to widespread fertility problems in the Western world. Around one in six couples in Britain has trouble starting a family and male infertility is to blame in nearly half of these cases. The German and Danish researchers tested almost 100 everyday chemicals � and discovered that a third affected sperm. Writing in journal EMBO Reports, they said some of the chemicals are found in sunscreen. Also on the list is triclosan, an antibacterial agent that is less used now than in the past but is still in some soaps and toothpaste. Laboratory tests using a level of chemicals similar to what the body is generally exposed to showed these chemicals affect the way sperm swim. They also lead to an early release of compounds critical to fertilisation and make sperm less sensitive to female sex hormones. These changes could make it more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg. The damage was even greater when the sperm were exposed to a mixture of chemicals. Researcher Timo Strunker, of the Centre of Advanced European Studies and Research in Bonn, said: �The cocktail, despite the extremely low concentration of its ingredients, evoked large responses in sperm. This has not been shown before.� Co-researcher Niels Skakkebaek of Copenhagen University Hospital said some of the chemicals are �possibly more dangerous than previously thought�. They are often referred to as �gender-bending chemicals� because they are part of a family called endocrine disrupters which interfere with hormones. Last year, the World Health Organisation linked them to breast cancer and asthma. Elizabeth Salter Green, director of chemical watchdog CHEM Trust, called for tougher regulations on these chemicals, adding: �The great worry is the ability of these chemicals to undermine fertilisation occurs at levels to which most men are regularly exposed.�