New research explores air pollution impact on infertility
Research papers published in the last week have offered further evidence on the link between outdoor air pollution, including from road traffic, and a range of health impacts.
A study by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, published in the journal Human Reproduction, took existing understanding of the effect of air pollution on sperm count and performance and went deeper, discovering an apparent link between exposure to ozone and nitrogen dioxide and damaging genetic changes in sperm. Specifically, the Amherst researchers, led by Dr Carrie Nobles, found the pollutants may cause DNA changes in developing sperm, affecting the chemical signals that manage how genes are turned on and off, preventing corruption.
The study, involving 2000 patients of infertility clinics, found men who had greater exposure to air pollution were more likely to have this genetic disruption. Further research is needed to ascertain any connections between this DNA methylation and infertility and fetal health. But the initial findings suggest that exposure to air pollution through the entire 90-day cycle of sperm production may impact the quality and health, as well as the quantity, of sperm produced.
Meanwhile, researchers at Cambridge University have connected long term exposure to outdoor air pollution to a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The meta-review of existing international Parkinson’s studies, published in the Environment International journal, found exposure to particulates from traffic pollution significantly increases the relative risk of the disease. For every 5 μg/m³ of PM2.5 exposure, an individual’s relative risk of Parkinson’s increases by 10% and for every 15 μg/m³ increase in PM10 the relative risk rises by 18%.
Dr Annalan Navaratnam, Clinical Research Fellow at IMS Epidemiology, University of Cambridge, said: “There are still relatively few robust studies that explore the link between air pollution and Parkinson’s disease, but even so, it’s becoming clear that there is a link. We found evidence of a link with two types of pollutants in particular, but even though the evidence was inconclusive for other types, this may be down to how the studies were designed. We urgently need more research, in larger populations, to examine what is a significant public health issue.”