Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29459305›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental research2018

Ambient air pollution and semen quality.

Carrie J Nobles, Enrique F Schisterman, Sandie Ha, Keewan Kim, Sunni L Mumford, Germaine M Buck Louis, Zhen Chen, Danping Liu, Seth Sherman, Pauline Mendola

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. The silent threat: PMArchives of toxicology · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Observational
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Observational
  19. Article
  20. Decreased total sperm counts in habitants of highly polluted areas of Eastern Sicily, Italy.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2019
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Carrie J NoblesNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Epidemiology Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Enrique F SchistermanNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Epidemiology Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Sandie HaNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Epidemiology Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA.
Keewan KimNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Epidemiology Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Sunni L MumfordNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Epidemiology Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Germaine M Buck LouisNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Office of the Director, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Zhen ChenNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Danping LiuNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Seth ShermanThe Emmes Corporation, 401N, Washington Street #700, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
Pauline MendolaNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Epidemiology Branch, 6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: pauline.mendola@nih.gov.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · USEmmes (United States) · USOffice of the Director · US

Funding

DETREMINANTS OF MALE AND FEMALE FECUNDITY AND FERTILITY RESEARCH SITESN01HD33355 · NICHD · PI SWEENEY, ANNE · 2007 to 2007
$6.2M
Air Quality and Reproductive HealthZIAHD008923 · NICHD · EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT · PI MENDOLA, PAULINE · 2012 to 2020
$3.2M
Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the EnvironmentZIAHD008770 · NICHD · EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT · PI SUNDARAM, RAJESHWARI · 2009 to 2025
$2.2M
DETERMINANTS OF MALE AND FEMALE FECUNDITY AND FERTILITY-DATA COORDINATING CENTERN01HD33358 · NICHD · THE EMMES COMPANY, LLC · 2007 to 2009
$1.2M
DETERMINANTS OF MALE AND FEMALE FECUNDITY AND FERTILITY DATA COORDINAT-275033358N01HD033358 · NICHD · THE EMMES CORPORATION · 2004 to 2005
–
Intramural NIH HHS Z99 HD999999Intramural NIH HHS ZIA HD008770Intramural NIH HHS ZIA HD008923NICHD NIH HHS HHSN275200800002CNICHD NIH HHS HHSN275200800002INICHD NIH HHS N01HD33355NICHD NIH HHS N01HD33358
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAmbient air pollution is associated with systemic increases in oxidative stress, to which sperm are particularly sensitive. Although decrements in semen quality represent a key mechanism for impaired fecundability, prior research has not established a clear association between air pollution and semen quality. To address this, we evaluated the association between ambient air pollution and semen quality among men with moderate air pollution exposure.

methodsOf 501 couples in the LIFE study, 467 male partners provided one or more semen samples. Average residential exposure to criteria air pollutants and fine particle constituents in the 72 days before ejaculation was estimated using modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models. Generalized estimating equation models estimated the association between air pollutants and semen quality parameters (volume, count, percent hypo-osmotic swollen, motility, sperm head, morphology and sperm chromatin parameters). Models adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking and season.

resultsMost associations between air pollutants and semen parameters were small. However, associations were observed for an interquartile increase in fine particulates ≤2.5 µm and decreased sperm head size, including -0.22 (95% CI -0.34, -0.11) µm

conclusionsAir pollution exposure was not associated with semen quality, except for sperm head parameters. Moderate levels of ambient air pollution may not be a major contributor to semen quality.

Indexed as

Air PollutantsAir PollutionSpermatozoaAdultHumansMaleSemenSemen AnalysisAir PollutantsAir pollutionReproductive healthSemen quality

Identifiers

PMID29459305
PMCPMC5878741
OpenAlexW2793830922

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.