Fertility of male workers exposed to cadmium, lead, or manganese.
The effect of exposure to cadmium, lead, or manganese on male reproductive function was examined in 1988-1989 in Belgian blue-collar workers. The workers were exposed to cadmium in two smelters (n = 83; geometric mean urinary cadmium level = 6.94 micrograms/g of creatinine; mean duration of exposure = 24 years), to lead in a battery factory (n = 74; mean blood lead level = 46.3 micrograms/dl; mean duration of exposure = 10.7 years), or to manganese (manganese dioxide) in a dry alkaline battery plant (n = 70; median atmospheric concentration of total manganese dust = 0.71 mg/m3; mean duration of exposure = 6.2 years). Fertility in these workers and in an unexposed population (n = 138) was assessed by examining the birth experiences of their wives through a logistic regression model. The probability of a live birth was not different between the unexposed workers and the cadmium- or manganese-exposed workers before or after the onset of exposure. While the fertility of the lead-exposed workers was somewhat greater than that of the unexposed before the onset of exposure, a significant decrease in fertility was observed during the period of exposure to the metal (odds ratio = 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.98).
Gennart
J P
JP
Industrial Toxicology and Occupational Medicine Unit, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Buchet
J P
JP
Roels
H
H
Ghyselen
P
P
Ceulemans
E
E
Lauwerys
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001530:Belgium; D001723:Birth Rate; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D017895:Manganese Compounds; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010087:Oxides; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D004391:Dust; D017895:Manganese Compounds; D010087:Oxides; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008345:Manganese; C016552:manganese dioxide