Decreased sperm motility is associated with air pollution in Salt Lake City.
OBJECTIVE
To study the correlation between indices of air pollution and sperm parameters.


METHODS
Ecological study.


METHODS
Contained geographic area.


METHODS
Resident men presenting for semen analysis or artificial insemination.


METHODS
Analysis of levels of particulate air pollution (particulate matter [PM] 2.5) over a five-year period in relation to sperm parameters obtained from semen analyses and separately in relation to sequences of sperm parameters at the time of semen preparations for artificial insemination. To account for the duration of spermatogenesis (72 days), "corrected" variables were created by shifting backward 1, 2, 3 and 4 months each of the semen parameters. The final analysis corrected for season of the year and current temperature.


METHODS
Sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm morphology.


RESULTS
The study included 1,699 semen analyses and 877 inseminations. PM 2.5 levels were highest in the winter months, when the ambient temperature was the lowest. Semen analysis data showed that values of PM 2.5 were negatively correlated to sperm motility two months and three months following the recording of the PM 2.5 values. Artificial insemination data also showed that sperm motility correlated negatively with PM 2.5 values recorded three months previously.


CONCLUSIONS
Both semen analysis and sperm parameters data obtained from men presenting for multiple inseminations over time showed that air pollution is associated with reduced sperm motility two to three month after exposure.
Hammoud
Ahmad
A
University of Utah, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Ahmad.hammoud@hsc.utah.edu
Carrell
Douglass T
DT
Gibson
Mark
M
Sanderson
Matt
M
Parker-Jones
Kirtly
K
Peterson
C Matthew
CM
D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002947:Cities; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012621:Seasons; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014589:Utah; D055815:Young Adult
D052638:Particulate Matter