engleski

Cadmium, arsenic and lead - elements affecting male reproductive health

The decline of male fertility has become a serious public healthconcern over the last decades, coinciding with an increase inenvironmental exposure to toxic pollutants. Toxic elements cad-mium (Cd), arsenic (As), and lead (Pb) seem to contribute todeclining fertility in men through progressive impairment of semenquality. Reproductive toxicity of these elements is mediated bymultiple mechanisms. Although experimental animal studiesgenerally support an adverse role of Cd, As, and Pb in humanreproduction issues, data on the effects induced by the levels oftoxic elements that represent environmental exposure are incon- sistent. This review summarizes reports from experimentalstudies in animals and epidemiological observational findingsfrom environmental exposure to Cd, As, and Pb, with specialfocus on semen quality parameters as the indicator of male fertility.

toxic elements ; male infertility ; environmental exposure

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