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Published on: April 21, 2022
Wildfire Smoke Exposure is Associated with Decreased Sperm Concentration and Total Motile Sperm Count
Objective:
As wildfires become more prevalent, their impact on fertility warrants evaluation. We aimed to examine the impact of smoke exposure on semen analysis parameters of intrauterine insemination patients in the greater Seattle, WA area. We hypothesized that wildfire smoke exposure was associated with a decline in total motile sperm count.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Subjects:
Patients undergoing fertility treatments at the University of Washington in 2018-2022.
Exposure:
Subjects were exposed to seasonal wildfire events in the fall of 2018, 2020, and 2022. Pre-exposure semen was a diagnostic fresh sample prior to each respective wildfire event while post-exposure semen was taken at time of intrauterine insemination (IUI) during the wildfire smoke exposure windows. All subjects acted as their own controls in a paired pre-post analysis.
Main Outcome Measures:
Primary outcome measure was total motile sperm count; secondary outcomes measures are semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total progressively motile sperm count, percent motile sperm, percent progressively motile sperm.
Results:
We identified 84 subjects who underwent IUI across the 2018 (n = 27), 2020 (n = 30), and 2022 (n = 27) wildfire smoke events. Median time between initial semen analysis and semen analysis for IUI was 4 months. We observed a decline in sperm concentration, total sperm count, total motile sperm count, and total progressively motile sperm count. We also observed an increase in percent progressively motile sperm. These trends did not differ across event year.
Conclusions:
Our results are consistent with a prior small study demonstrating that wildfire smoke exposure is associated with declines in sperm quality. These findings highlight the need for further research on the effects of wildfire smoke exposure on human sperm and fertility treatments, especially as smoke exposures are expected to increase with climate change.
Insights
Wildfire smoke exposure negatively impacts male fertility, reducing sperm count and quality. Further research is crucial as climate change increases smoke events, affecting reproductive health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Reproductive Biology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Increasing prevalence of wildfires necessitates evaluating their impact on human fertility.
- Previous research suggests potential links between environmental exposures and reproductive health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between wildfire smoke exposure and semen analysis parameters in patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI).
- To hypothesize that wildfire smoke exposure leads to a decrease in total motile sperm count.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study design.
- Analysis of semen samples from 84 patients undergoing IUI at the University of Washington between 2018-2022.
- Paired pre-exposure and post-exposure semen analysis to assess changes during wildfire smoke events in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
Main Results:
- Observed significant declines in sperm concentration, total sperm count, total motile sperm count, and total progressively motile sperm count.
- A notable increase in the percentage of progressively motile sperm was also recorded.
- These trends remained consistent across different wildfire event years.
Conclusions:
- Findings support previous studies indicating that wildfire smoke exposure adversely affects sperm quality.
- Highlights the need for continued research into the effects of wildfire smoke on male fertility and assisted reproductive technologies.
- Emphasizes the growing concern for reproductive health in the context of climate change and increasing smoke exposure.
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