Abstract

Background

The adverse consequences of ambient particulate matter (PM) on human health have been extensively studied. However, the association between PM2.5 and PM10 μm, two common sizes of particulate matter, and semen quality remains a subject of debate. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the relationship between ambient PM2.5 and PM10 μm exposure and semen quality parameters.

Main text

A systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases to identify relevant studies investigating the association between (PM2.5 μm and PM10 μm) exposure and semen quality, covering the period from January 2000 to April 2023. Standard mean difference (SMD) was used to calculate pooled effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Furthermore, meta-regression and subgroup analyses provided additional insight into potential factors contributing to heterogeneity. The meta-analysis included a comprehensive review of nine studies with a total of 6264 participants. The findings demonstrated a significant negative correlation between ambient exposure to PM2.5 μm and PM10 μm and various parameters related to semen quality. The analysis revealed that PM2.5 exposure was linked to reduced semen volume (SMD = −0.028; 95% CI −0.055 to −0.01), total sperm count (SMD = −0.027; 95% CI −0.052 to -0.02), sperm motility (SMD = −0.156; 95% CI −0.26 to -0.04), and progressive motility (SMD = −0.194; 95% CI −0.38 to −0.01). Likewise, exposure to PM10 was associated with decreased sperm concentration (SMD = −0.036; 95% CI −0.06 to −0.01) and sperm motility (SMD = −0.93; 95% CI −0.15 to −0.02).

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate a consistent negative association between ambient PM10 and PM2.5 μm exposure and semen quality parameters. The findings suggest that increased levels of ambient particulate matter may have an adverse influence on sperm count and motility. The results highlight the importance of addressing environmental air pollution as a potential risk factor for male reproductive health.

Details

Title
Association between ambient particulate matter and semen quality parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Author
Bahreiny, Seyed Sobhan 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bastani, Mohammad-Navid 1 ; Dabbagh, Mohammad Reza 2 ; Ghorbani, Hamid 3 ; Aghaei, Mojtaba 3 ; Zahedian, Mehdi 3 ; Fard, Reza Mohammadpour 3 

1  Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Student Research Committee, Ahvaz, Iran (GRID:grid.411230.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9296 6873); Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Medical Basic Sciences Research Institute, Physiology Research Center, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz, Iran (GRID:grid.411230.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9296 6873) 
2  Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ahvaz, Iran (GRID:grid.412504.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 0612 5699) 
3  Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Student Research Committee, Ahvaz, Iran (GRID:grid.411230.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9296 6873) 
Pages
2
Publication year
2024
Publication date
Dec 2024
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
11105690
e-ISSN
20903251
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43043-023-00162-6
ProQuest document ID
2909067533
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.