Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Sperm quality and DNA integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Hueiwang Anna Jeng1, Chih-Hong Pan2, Mu-Rong Chao3
1Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA (College of Health Sciences, School of Community and Environmental Health). hjeng@odu.edu.
Objectives:
The objective of this study was to assess sperm quality and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as compared to control subjects.
Material And Methods:
The coke oven workers (N = 52) and administrative staff (N = 35) of a steel plant served as the exposed and control groups, respectively. Exposure to PAHs was assessed by measuring 1-hydroxypyren. Analysis of sperm quality (concentration, motility, vitality, and morphology) was performed simultaneously with sperm DNA integrity analysis, including DNA fragmentation, denaturation, bulky DNA adducts, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo). A questionnaire was conducted to collect demographic and potential confounding data.
Results:
The coke oven workers had lower percentages of sperm motility, vitality and normal morphology than the control group, but the difference was not significant. For DNA integrity, the coke oven workers had significantly higher concentrations of bulky DNA adducts and 8-oxo-dGuo than the control subjects (p = 0.009 and p = 0.048, respectively). However, DNA fragmentation percentages did not significantly increase as compared to those in the subjects from the control group (p = 0.232). There was no correlation between sperm quality parameters and DNA integrity indicators.
Conclusions:
Occupational exposure of the coke oven workers to PAHs was associated with decreased sperm DNA integrity. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):915-926.
More Related Videos
04:39A Modified QuEChERS-HPLC Method for Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Zebrafish Embryos Exposed to Fine Particulate Matter
Published on: June 13, 2025
10:38In Vivo Alkaline Comet Assay and Enzyme-modified Alkaline Comet Assay for Measuring DNA Strand Breaks and Oxidative DNA Damage in Rat Liver
Published on: May 4, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Spermatogenesis
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Cancer Prevention
Some...