Effects of exposure to trinitrotoluene on male reproduction

A cross-sectional study was performed in 2 plants located in Henan Province in 1990 for observing the reproductive and sexual functions of male workers exposed to trinitrotoluene (TNT). The TNT concentrations in the workplace air, except the packing site, were found to have exceeded MAC (1 mg/m3). TNT exposed male workers complained of more sexual disorders such as impotence, the loss of libido and sexual hypoesthesia than the control group. Compared with the control group, the volume of semen and percentage of motile spermatozoa were found to have significantly decreased, and the sperm malformation incidence increased significantly in TNT exposed workers. The serum testosterone content in TNT exposed male workers was significantly decreased too.