[Modification of in vitro motility of human sperm by various dioxin congeners in super-physiologic concentrations]

Human ejaculate was fractionated using density gradient centrifugation. Highly motile spermatozoa were incubated with "superphysiological" concentrations of various dioxin congeners. Over a period of sixty hours, no relevant influence on sperm motility in comparison to control media was noted on triplicate testing. It therefore appears unlikely, that intravaginally ejaculated spermatozoa would be compromised in their motility by naturally occurring levels of dioxins in female genital tract secretions. However, this does not preclude the possibility of such dioxin levels affecting normal intratesticular spermatogenesis.