Could sperm quality be affected by a building environment? A literature review

Abstract

The human body responds psychologically and physiologically to the thermal environment to which it is exposed. Fanger's PMV model has been adopted for the design of built environments and building maintenance from the end of the 1960s. The sperm quality of humans has been decreasing since the 1970s. The thermal environment is one of the most important factors of the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). It is well known that spermatogenesis is very sensitive to heat exposure. Mild thermal exposure increases tissue microcirculation and consequently produces an appropriate supply of nutrients and oxygen to tissue cells; thus, it can modulate the proliferation of Sertoli cells in which the spermatogonia stem cells develop into adult spermatozoa. Excessive exposure to heat is harmful to spermatogenesis, and excessive testicular cooling can cause the cessation of spermatogenesis. The thermal regulatory system in humans differs individually, according to the characteristics of thermal adaptation for each person. Even in the same thermal environment, each occupant responds differently. A personal air-conditioning system or partial heating or cooling system is the most interesting topic for future research to increase male health and to decrease energy consumption.