Air pollution affects men’s fertility, noise harms women’s reproductive health: study warns

Environmental factors such as pollution contribute to decreased fertility in both men and women. A recent study examined this issue further and found that while long-term exposure to particulate matter from air pollution adversely affects male fertility, noise pollution poses a earnest threat to the reproductive health of women over the age of 35.

It is estimated that one in seven couples worldwide has difficulty conceiving. Although studies have shown that long-term exposure to particulate matter affects sperm quality, the effect on the likelihood of conception has not been clear. Furthermore, studies have not examined how noise pollution affects fertility in men and women.

To fill this gap, scientists from a novel study test analyzed national registry data on infertility rates among couples living in Denmark between 2000 and 2017. They focused on a immense sample of 526,056 men and 377,850 women aged 30–45 years who had fewer than two children and were cohabiting or married. These couples were specifically selected to include a high proportion of those actively trying to conceive.

The results, after taking into account various factors, revealed that men aged 30-45 who had higher levels of exposure to PM2.5 over a five-year period had a 24% increased risk of infertility. However, exposure to PM2.5 was not associated with infertility in women.

While examining the effects of noise pollution, researchers found that higher average exposure levels to road traffic noise of 10.2 decibels over five years were associated with a 14% increased risk of infertility in women over the age of 35. However, the same association was not seen in younger women.

Among men aged 37–45 years, similar exposure to road traffic noise was associated with a compact increased risk of infertility, but this association was not observed among men aged 30–37 years.

The study is observational, so cause and effect cannot be established. It has some limitations, such as the study population, which may have included couples not trying to conceive. The study lacked detailed information on lifestyle factors and specific exposure to noise and air pollution at work and during recreational activities.

“If our results are confirmed in future studies, it would mean that political implementation of measures to reduce air and noise pollution could be an essential tool for improving birth rates in Western countries,” the researchers conclude.