Abstract
BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested adverse effects of particulate matter (PM) exposure on male reproductive health; few have investigated the association between PM exposure and semen quality in a large population of fertile men.MethodsWe evaluated 14 parameters of semen quality in 1554 fertile men in Nanjing from 2014 to 2016. Individual exposure to particular matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) during key periods of sperm development (0-90, 0-9, 10-14, 15-69, and 70-90 days before semen collection) were estimated by inverse distance weighting interpolation. Associations between PM exposure and semen quality were estimated using multivariable linear regression.ResultsHigher 90-days average PM2.5 was in association with decreased sperm motility (2.21% for total motility, 1.93% for progressive motility per 10 μg/m3 increase, P < 0.001) and four quantitative aspects of sperm motion (curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), and amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), P < 0.01). The association between PM2.5 exposure and semen quality were generally stronger for the earlier exposure window (70-90 days prior to ejaculation) than for recent exposure (0-9, 10-14, or 15-69 days). In the subgroup of men who had normal sperm parameters (n = 1019), similar results were obtained. Ninety-days PM10 exposure was associated only with decreased VCL and VAP and was not related to sperm concentration.ConclusionsExposure to PM2.5 adversely affects semen quality, specifically lower sperm motility, in fertile men.Graphical abstract
Highlights
Several studies have suggested adverse effects of particulate matter (PM) exposure on male reproductive health; few have investigated the association between PM exposure and semen quality in a large population of fertile men
The mean age of men participating in this study was 30.9 years and two-thirds had college or higher education (66.8%)
Average daily concentrations of P M2.5 and PM10 are plotted in Fig. 2 and Fig. S4 respectively
Summary
Several studies have suggested adverse effects of particulate matter (PM) exposure on male reproductive health; few have investigated the association between PM exposure and semen quality in a large population of fertile men. A large body of literature documents the association between ambient air pollution and a range of important health conditions including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases [9,10,11,12] and cancers [13]. Several studies have reported changes in sperm parameters, such as sperm mobility and movement, in relation to exposure to air pollution, providing evidence for exposure-related reductions in sperm quality [4, 21,22,23]. These limitations may impair the identification of true associations between PM exposure and semen quality
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