Last Updated on 05/09/2024 by Arun jain
Researchers have found that pollution in the air we breathe is reducing fertility in men around the world.
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 air pollution-fine particles Air masses that are 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter—are linked to a higher risk of infertility in men. New paper in BMJ.
Road traffic noise pollution has also been found to be associated with infertility in women over 35, the paper said.
Infertility is defined as the lack of conception of a fetus after one year of unprotected and regular sex. It affects one in seven couples trying to conceive worldwide.
“Many of the established risk factors for infertility are the same for men and women and include advanced age (especially for women, where fertility declines rapidly after the late 30s), tobacco and alcohol use, sexually transmitted infections, various chronic Conditions and diseases, obesity. , and severe underweight. Additionally, exposure to environmental factors such as air pollution, pesticides and ionizing radiation are suspected risk factors for infertility,” the researchers wrote in the paper.
Researchers analyzed data from 526,056 men and 377,850 women in Denmark who were trying to conceive (aged 30 to 45, living with a partner and with fewer than two children) and measured annual average PM2.5 at each participant’s address between 1995 and 2017. Calculated concentrations and road traffic noise levels and compared these data with the success of the concept.
They found that exposure to PM2.5 at levels of 2.9 µg/m3 or higher over a five-year period increased the risk of infertility in men by 24 percent.
PM2.5 pollution particles are about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and are made up of various chemical components such as dust, dirt, soot, smoke and liquid droplets. Sources of PM2.5 pollution include vehicle emissions, forest fires, coal burning, industrial processes and construction. Long-term exposure to high levels of PM2.5 increases the risk of chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease and lung cancer.
Previous studies have found links between pollution and sperm quality, but until now, links with conception probability have been inconsistent.
“In support of our results on PM2.5 and infertility in men, particulate air pollution (PM2.5 and PM10) has been found in recent studies to be negatively associated with factors that determine sperm quality, including sperm motility and count as well as changes. In sperm morphology. Our study therefore adds to these findings, showing that the effects of air pollution on sperm quality would potentially result in a higher risk of requiring fertility clinic assistance to achieve conception,” the researchers wrote.
The study also found that exposure to road traffic noise averaging 10.2 decibels or more over five years was associated with a 14 percent increased risk of infertility in women over 35. Noise pollution also slightly affects male fertility. 37 to 45 years of age.
“The health effects of noise are suggested to be mediated through triggering of the stress response, with activation of the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as through sleep disruption. Both stress and sleep disruption have been suggested to be associated with impaired reproductive function,” the researchers wrote. , including decreased sperm count and quality, menstrual irregularities, and impaired oocyte viability.
Both noise and pollution effects were found to be “consistent among people living in rural, suburban, and urban areas, as well as among people of low, middle, and high socioeconomic status.”
The study is only observational, meaning it cannot confirm causation. Nevertheless, it expands our knowledge of how modern life can affect fertility.
“This is an observational study and these are subject to some scientific constraints by their nature. However, this was a large randomized study taking confounders into account,” Jill Belch, an expert and professor of vascular medicine and air pollution at the University of Dundee School of Medicine, said in a statement. “If confirmed by future prospective work, this association has significant implications for fertility as a 24 percent reduction in male fertility and a 14 percent reduction in female fertility would have profound effects on future generations.”
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References
Sørensen, M., Poulsen, AH, Nøhr, B., Khan, J., Ketzel, M., Brandt, J., Raaschou-Nielsen, O. & Jensen, A. (2024). Long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution and risk of infertility in men and women: a nationwide Danish cohort study.. BMJ, 386. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-080664
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