Environmental factors like pollution contribute to declining fertility in both men and women. A recent study further investigated this issue and discovered that while long-term exposure to particulate matter from air pollution adversely affects male fertility, noise pollution poses a significant threat to female reproductive health in women over 35.
According to estimates, one in seven couples worldwide has difficulty conceiving. Although studies have shown that long-term exposure to particulate matter affects sperm quality, the impact on the likelihood of conceiving was not clear. Also, studies have not investigated how noise pollution affects fertility in men and women.
To bridge the gap, researchers in the latest study analyzed national registry data on infertility rates among couples living in Denmark from 2000 to 2017. They focused on a substantial sample of 526,056 men and 377,850 women, aged 30–45, who had fewer than two children and were either cohabiting or married. These couples were specifically chosen to include a high proportion of individuals actively trying to conceive.
The results, after adjusting for various factors, revealed that men aged 30-45 who had higher levels of exposure to PM2.5 particulate matter over five years faced a 24% increased risk of infertility. However, PM2.5 exposure was not linked to infertility in women.
While exploring the impact of noise pollution, researchers noted that higher average levels of exposure to 10.2 decibels of road traffic noise over five years were linked to a 14% increased risk of infertility among women older than 35 years. However, the same association was not seen among younger women.
Among men in the 37-45 age group, similar exposure to road traffic noise was associated with a small increased risk of infertility, but the link was not seen among those aged 30-37 years.
The study is observational and hence a causative link cannot be established. it has certain limitations such as the population studied might have also included couples not trying to conceive. The study lacked detailed information on lifestyle factors and specific exposure to noise and air pollution at work and during leisure activities
"If our results are confirmed in future studies, it suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be important tools for improving birth rates in the Western world," the researchers concluded.
