Danish Study Finds Air Pollution Impacts Male Fertility, and Traffic Noise with Female Infertility
A Danish study published in The BMJ has revealed that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution is linked to a higher risk of infertility in men, whereas road traffic noise is linked to a higher risk of infertility in women over 35.
Infertility is a major global health problem affecting one in seven couples trying to conceive.
Several studies have found negative links between particulate air pollution and sperm quality and success after fertility treatment, but results on fecundability (the likelihood of conceiving) are inconsistent, and no studies have investigated the effects of transport noise on infertility in men and women.
To address this uncertainty, researchers set out to investigate if long-term exposure to road traffic noise and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution was associated with a higher risk of infertility in men and women.
Their findings are based on national registry data for 526,056 men and 377,850 women aged 30-45 years, with fewer than two children, cohabiting or married
Yearly average particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and road traffic noise levels at each participant’s address (1995-2017) were calculated, and infertility diagnoses were recorded from the national patient register.
Infertility was diagnosed in 16,172 men and 22,672 women during an 18-year follow-up period (an average of just over 4 years).
After adjusting for several potentially influential factors including income, education level, and occupation, exposure to 2.9 µg/m3 higher average levels of PM2.5 over five years was associated with a 24% increased risk of infertility in men aged 30-45 years. PM2.5 was not associated with infertility in women
Exposure to 10.2 decibels higher average levels of road traffic noise over five years was associated with a 14% increased risk of infertility among women older than 35 years. Noise was not associated with infertility among younger women (30-35 years).
Reference: Sørensen, M., Poulsen, A. H., Nøhr, B., Khan, J., Ketzel, M., Brandt, J., Raaschou-Nielsen, O., & Jensen, A. (2024). Long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution and risk of infertility in men and women: Nationwide Danish cohort study. BMJ (British Medical Journal). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-080664
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