ReviewOpen veterinary journal2026
Impact of airport X-ray security screening on the quality of shipped animal semen: Oxidative stress, irradiation effects, and future perspectives.
Review in Open veterinary journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Airport security systems commonly employ X-ray scanners for baggage screening, creating the possibility of unintended radiation exposure to biological materials, such as transported semen used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). This review summarizes the current knowledge on X-ray-induced oxidative stress and evaluates its potential impact on semen quality across animal species. Semen is highly vulnerable to oxidative damage due to the abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids in spermatozoa membranes and the limited cytoplasmic antioxidant reserves within the cells. Although seminal plasma contains substantial enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, excessive reactive oxygen species generated by X-ray exposure can overwhelm endogenous defenses, leading to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)fragmentation, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired motility. Four key studies investigating the impact of airport-related X-ray exposure on semen quality in dogs, bulls, cats, and stallions demonstrated variable outcomes. Reported effects ranged from reduced motility and membrane function to increased double-stranded DNA damage and decreased embryo development, although one study in stallions found no detrimental effects at doses typically used in airport screening. These inconsistencies highlight species-specific sensitivity, differences in semen storage conditions, and exposure dose variations. Overall, evidence indicates that airport X-ray screening may pose a risk to spermatozoa structural and functional integrity. Future strategies, including the incorporation of antioxidants or radioprotective agents into semen extenders, optimization of packaging systems, and real-world exposure assessments, are needed to safeguard the quality of shipped semen during air transport.
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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.