A study of the effect of perchloroethylene exposure on semen quality in dry cleaning workers

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700200502· OSTI ID:5559702

Eskenazi, B; Wyrobek, A J; Fenster, L; Katz, D F; Sadler, M; Lee, J; Hudes, M; Rempel, D M ^[1]

---

1. Program of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley (United States)

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of perchloroethylene (PCE) exposure on human semen quality. We compared the semen quality of 34 dry cleaners with that of 48 laundry workers. We examined the relationships of 17 semen parameters to expired air levels of PCE and to an index of exposure based on job tasks in the last three months. The average sperm concentration was over 80 million for both dry cleaners and laundry workers, but approximately one-quarter of each group was oligospermic. The overall percentage of abnormal forms was similar for the two groups; however, sperm of dry cleaners were significantly more likely to be round (t = -3.29, p = 0.002) and less likely to be narrow (t = 2.35, p = 0.02) than the sperm of laundry workers. These effects were dose-related to expired air levels and to the exposure index after controlling for potential confounders (e.g., heat exposure). The average percent motile sperm for both groups was slightly over 60%; however, sperm of dry cleaners tended to swim with greater amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) than those of laundry workers (t = -1.73, p = 0.09), and level of PCE in expired air was a significant predictor of ALH in the multiple regression model (t = 2.00, p = 0.05). In addition, exposure index was a significant negative predictor of the sperm linearity parameter (t = -2.57, p = 0.01). These results suggest that occupational exposures to PCE can have subtle effects on sperm quality. Additional analyses are required to determine whether these effects are associated with changes in fertility.

• OSTI ID: 5559702
• Journal Information: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States), Journal Name: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States) Vol. 20:5; ISSN 0271-3586; ISSN AJIMD
• 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.
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
FERTILITY
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MATHEMATICS
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
SENSITIVITY
SPERMATOZOA
STATISTICS
TOXICITY