title: Association between environmental exposure to cadmium and human semen quality.
abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal with toxicant to reproductive functions. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of environmental exposure to Cd on human semen quality. A total of 587 men from the general population, aged from 20 to 59 years old, and without occupational exposure to Cd were recruited from three provinces in China to participate in the study. The median of serum Cd was 1.9 μg/L (P25-P75:1.1-2.9). In case Cd was less than or equal to 6.3 μg/L (P95) and the semen parameters were logarithmically transformed, the inverse associations between Cd and semen volume (-0.03 ± 0.007), progressive motility (-0.01 ± 0.004), and sperm morphology (-0.04 ± 0.004) were found across the whole group, after adjusting for age group, occupation, season of semen sample collection, abstinence intervals, smoking, alcohol drinking, and body mass index. Our findings indicate that higher Cd may reduce the semen volume, progressive motility, and morphology among men without occupational exposure to Cd.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology and Social Science on Reproductive Health , Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Yuyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology and Social Science on Reproductive Health , Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Junqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: b National Population and Family Planning Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Weijin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology and Social Science on Reproductive Health , Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Ersheng
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: cadmium; progressive motility; semen volume; sperm concentration; sperm morphology