[Association between sperm abnormalities and occupational environment among male consulting for couple infertility]

Abstract

Alteration of sperm parameters related to occupational exposures is the subject of several studies, often on a case-control approach. The study populations usually comprise men consulting in infertility clinics for couple infertility. The objective of this review is to identify, from these case-control studies, the main occupational factors that may be associated with altered sperm parameters. We selected 13 articles in the PubMed database. Participation in these studies varied from 61 to 2619 subjects, with great methodological heterogeneity, particularly in the characterization of exposure. The main occupations that appear significantly associated with a risk of altered sperm parameters are workmen, painters, farmers, welders, plumbers and technicians. When analysis focuses on occupational exposures, a significant result is reported for solvents, heavy metals, heat, vibrations and non-ionizing radiation. None of the selected studies has found a link with exposure to pesticides.

Keywords: Abnormal semen parameters; Anomalies des paramètres spermatiques; Case-control study; Exposition professionnelle; Infertilité masculine; Male infertility; Occupational exposure; Questionnaire; Étude cas-témoins.