Stainless steel welding and semen quality

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Reproductive Toxicology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0890-6238(88)90025-1· OSTI ID:5308805

Jelnes, J E; Knudsen, L E ^[1]

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1. Department of Biology and Toxicology, Danish National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen (Denmark)

Questionnaire studies of patients from fertility clinics suggest that welders may have an increased risk of reduced semen quality. In this study, welders and nonwelders from the same plants were asked to provide blood, urine, and semen samples. Urine was analyzed for chromium and nickel, and for mutagenic activity and metal concentration; blood for metal concentrations, immunoglobulin G, total protein, and measures of genotoxicity in lymphocytes; and semen was evaluated by standard semen analysis. Results of the semen evaluation, presented here, showed no difference in semen quality between welders and nonwelders. Because the metal dust exposure of nonwelders in the plant may be higher than that in the general population, welders were also compared to referents not working in the metal industry. Again, no decrease in semen quality associated with welding was demonstrated.

• OSTI ID: 5308805
• Journal Information: Reproductive Toxicology; (United States), Journal Name: Reproductive Toxicology; (United States) Vol. 2:3-4; ISSN 0890-6238; ISSN REPTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CHROMIUM
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
GLOBULINS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
IMMUNOGLOBULINS
JOINING
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHOCYTES
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
METALS
NICKEL
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
SENSITIVITY
SOMATIC CELLS
SPERMATOZOA
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
WELDING