Reproductive hormone levels in men exposed to persistent organohalogen pollutants: a study of inuit and three European cohorts.

Objective: Persistent organohalogen pollutant (POP) exposure may have a negative impact on reproductive function. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of POP exposure on the male hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Participants: Participants included 184 Swedish fishermen and spouses of pregnant women from Greenland (n = 258), Warsaw, Poland (n = 113) , and Kharkiv, Ukraine (n = 194).

Semen quality and exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants.

Background: Inconsistent results have been found in previous human studies on male reproductive toxicity of persistent organochlorine pollutants. The majority of studies have been conducted among selected populations of infertility clients or among occupational cohorts including a limited number of participants.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of semen quality and serum concentration of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) among 763 men.

Quality control workshops in standardization of sperm concentration and motility assessment in multicentre studies.

Semen quality has been reported to vary markedly between different regions. To properly assess the differences among countries a minimization of the variation among centres in the assessments of sperm quality is essential. We here report on the training and two subsequent follow-up workshops on assessments of sperm concentration and motility.