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Title: Effects of toxic work environments on sperm quality and ascorbic acid levels

Conference · · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)
OSTI ID:5891501
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Galveston (United States)

Surveys have shown that toxic work environments lower sperm quality, and controlled studies indicate that ascorbic acid supplementation improves sperm viability and agglutination. The sperm quality of 50 subjects each from: (1) office workers, (2) a lead smelter, (3) petroleum refineries, and (4) a herbicide plant were compared with serum and semen ascorbic acid levels. The sperm characteristics studied were: count as million/ml and as percent; viability, motility, clumping, and abnormal morphology. The serum ascorbic acid levels were directly proportional to sperm viability and inversely correlated to clumping of all groups. Moreover, serum ascorbic acid levels were also inversely correlated to twin tail and amorphous forms of abnormal sperm morphology. The results of the study indicate that toxic environments depress sperm quality and suggest that ascorbic acid supplementation will improve sperm quality and fertility.

OSTI ID:
5891501
Report Number(s):
CONF-9104107-; CODEN: FAJOE
Journal Information:
FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Vol. 4:3; Conference: 75. annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Atlanta, GA (United States), 21-25 Apr 1991; ISSN 0892-6638
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English