title: Semen quality of Indian welders occupationally exposed to nickel and chromium.
abstract: The semen quality of 57 workers from a welding plant in South India and 57 controls was monitored. Blood nickel and chromium concentrations were determined by ICP-MS. Analysis of semen samples was performed in accordance with World Health Organization criteria. The blood level of nickel and chromium for the 28 exposed workers was 123.3 +/- 35.2 and 131.0 +/- 52.6 microg/l, resepctively, which was significantly higher than the 16.7 +/- 5.8 and 17.4 +/- 8.9 microg/l for the control group (n=27). Sperm concentrations of exposed workers were 14.5 +/- 24.0 millions/ml and those of the control group were 62.8 +/- 43.7 millions/ml. Rapid linear sperm motility was decreased in exposed workers compared to controls. There was a significant positive correlation between the percentage of tail defects and blood nickel concentration in exposed workers. The sperm concentration showed a negative correlation with blood chromium content in workers. More abnormal characteristics were found in the semen of exposed workers. Semen abnormalities correlated with the number of years of exposure to welding fumes containing nickel and chromium.
authors.affiliation: Owaisi Hospital and Research Center, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danadevi
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rozati
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Paramjit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grover
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002857:Chromium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009532:Nickel / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014896:Welding
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D002857:Chromium; D009532:Nickel