Human semen assays for workplace monitoring. [Monitoring of hazardous materials by determining effects on semen of personnel]

Conference · Tue Nov 07 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6541266

Wyrobek, A J; Gledhill, B L

Decades of human semen studies have yielded compelling evidence that sperm can be used to access reproductive potential and diagnose pathology. With these studies as background, the small number of detailed semen studies of men exposed to physical and chemical agents point with optimism to the application of human semen assays as efficient, effective means to monitor for reproductive hazards in the workplace. Sperm are the most accessible of human gonadal tissue and provide a means of monitoring exposure induced changes in the human testes, changes which may result in infertility and increased frequencies of genetically abnormal gametes. The focus on semen has precipitated the development of new sperm bioassays which use older conventional andrological methods (i.e., sperm counts, motility, and morphology) as well as recently developed high speed flow and scanning methods for automated cytological analyses. The status of these sperm assays for workplace surveillance is reviewed, procedures are suggested with examples of use, and their effectiveness is evaluated. The available mouse models of induced semen changes are briefly described and the importance of these models for evaluating the genetic implications of findings in human semen is discussed.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6541266
• Report Number(s): UCRL-81810; CONF-7804106-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOLOGY
CARCINOGENS
CELL FLOW SYSTEMS
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
CHRONIC IRRADIATION
CYTOLOGY
FERTILITY
GAMETES
GENETIC EFFECTS
GENETIC RADIATION EFFECTS
GERM CELLS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
LOW DOSE IRRADIATION
MONITORING
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
MUTAGENS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATIONS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGICAL PERSONNEL
SPERMATOZOA
WORKING CONDITIONS