title: Outdoor air pollution and sperm quality.
abstract: Exposure to air pollution has been clearly associated with a range of adverse health effects, including reproductive toxicity, but its effects on male semen quality are still unclear. We performed a systematic review (up to June 2016) to assess the impact of air pollutants on sperm quality. We included 17 semi-ecological, panel, and cohort studies, assessing outdoor air pollutants, such as PM2.5, PM10, NOx, SO2, and O3, and their effects on DNA fragmentation, sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology. Thirteen studies assessed air pollution exposure measured environmentally, and six used biomarkers of air pollution exposure (two did both). We rated the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and assessed with the exposure method. Taking into account these factors and the number of studies finding significant results (positive or negative), the evidence supporting an effect of air pollution on DNA fragmentation is weak but suggestive, on sperm motility is limited and probably inexistent, on lower sperm count is inconclusive, and on sperm morphology is very suggestive. Because of the diversity of air pollutants and sperm parameters, and the studies' designs, we were unable to perform a meta-analysis. In summary, most studies concluded that outdoor air pollution affects at least one of the four semen quality parameters included in the review. However, results lack consistency, and furthermore, studies were not comparable. Studies using standardized air pollution and semen measures are required to obtain more reliable conclusions.
  
  
  
  CRD42015007175.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Infertilidad y Reproducción Humana, EUGIN, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Lafuente
authors: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Núria
authors: N
authors: García-Blàquez
authors: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; VIMA: Aging and Chronic Diseases, Epidemiological and Public Health Approaches), U1168, Institut Médical de Santé et Recherche Médicale, Villejuif, France; Unité mixte de recherche (UMR)-S1168, Université Versailles St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Versailles, France; ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health)-Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain; Univerity Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Infertility Group, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Bénédicte
authors: B
authors: Jacquemin
authors: Centro de Infertilidad y Reproducción Humana, EUGIN, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Infertility Group, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: macheca@parcdesalutmar.cat.
authors: Miguel Angel
authors: MA
authors: Checa
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors
keywords: Air pollution; DNA fragmentation; male infertility; particulate matter; sperm quality