Association between air pollution and sperm quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Zibing; Chen, Fei; Zhang, Meixia; Lan, Lan; Qiao, Zhijiao; Cui, Yan; An, Jinghuan; Wang, Nan; Fan, Zhiwei; Zhao, Xing; Li, Xiaosong
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 208:Part B(2016)
• Page Start: 663
• Page End: 669
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Sperm quality -- Air pollution -- Sperm parameters -- Systematic review -- Meta-analysis; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.10.044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Exposure to ambient air pollution has been clearly linked to adverse reproductive outcome and fecundation index, but its effects on male semen quality are still uncertain. In this study, we reviewed information from ten studies to get the qualitative evidence of the influence of the ambient air pollution on sperm quality and collected data from six of the ten studies to conduct meta-analysis. The original studies classified participants into different exposure levels and the highest and lowest expose levels were chosen as high expose and low expose groups, respectively. The random-effect model was used in the meta-analysis with the weight mean difference (WMD) as the measure indicator. The WMDs (95% confidence intervals, CIs) of sperm volume, sperm count, semen concentration, sperm progressive motility, total motility, and normal morphology were 0.09 (−0.04, 0.23), 0.46 (−4.47, 5.39), −8.21 (−20.38, 3.96), −7.76 (−16.26, 0.74), −7.61 (−16.97, 1.74) and −3.40 (−7.42, 0.62), respectively. In conclusion, although the differences are not statistically significant between the two groups, the overall trends and evidence from this review indicate the chronic exposure to ambient pollutants at high level may alter men sperm quality. Highlights: Comparing to the low exposure group, the high exposure group had larger WMD of the sperm volume and sperm count. Comparing to the low exposure group, the high exposure group had smaller WMD of the rest sperm parameters. There was an obvious alteration of the sperm parameters in the two groups. Abstract : The overall trends and evidence from this review indicate the chronic exposure to ambient pollutants at high level may alter men sperm quality.