Thursday 8 September 2022 08:31 PM Exposure to formalehyde - emitted by cars - can decrease semen quality in men, ... trends now
Breathing in large amounts of formaldehyde released from cars, burning wood and factories could slash the quality of sperm, a study has suggested.
Chinese researchers monitored 205 young men, with more than half working in a sawmill where burning wood led to high levels of the chemical lingering in the air. They found this group had less mobile sperm than those in office-based roles.
The researchers blamed formaldehyde for the decline, pointing to previous research showing it damages tissue and triggers inflammation — impacting sperm quality. But 80 percent of participants smoked and six in ten drunk alcohol, both known to affect sperm quality, suggesting other factors may also be to blame.
Male sperm counts have been falling for decades, prompting concerns over fertility. A mounting body of evidence suggests that pollution — from chemicals like formaldehyde — alongside more sedentary lifestyles may be behind the drop.
Formaldehyde is common in the air. It is released from burning wood, industry and from burning fossil fuels - meaning it is also expelled in car's exhausts (file photo)
Researchers from the Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, central China, carried out the study over June last year.
Participants were about 29 years old on average, lived in the area and worked in wood industries for at least two years.
They also had a BMI of about 24, which is just inside the healthy range of between 18.5 and 24.
