Occupational pesticide exposure and semen quality among Chinese workers

This study investigated the association between occupational pesticide expo sure and semen quality among Chinese workers. Male workers, 32 who were exp osed to organophosphate pesticides and 43 who were not exposed were recruit ed from two nearby factories and interviewed. Following a work shift, semen and urine samples were collected for pesticide metabolite analysis. Semen samples were analyzed for sperm concentration, percentage of motility, and percentage of normal structure. Within the exposed group, the mean end-of-s hift urinary p-nitrophenol levels were 0.22 and 0.15 mg/L for the high- and low-exposure subgroups, respectively. Linear regression analysis of indivi dual semen parameters revealed a significant reduction of sperm concentrati on 35.9 x 10(6) vs 62.8 X 10(6), p < 0.01) and percentage of motility (47% vs 57%, p = 0.03) but not percentage of sperm with normal structure (57% vs 61%, p = 0.13). Multivariate modeling showed a significant overall shift i n the mean semen parameter. Occupational exposure to ethylparathion and met hamidophos seems to have a moderately adverse effect on semen quality.