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Pesticides and Heavy Metal Toxicity

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Male Infertility

Abstract

Male reproductive function has deteriorated significantly in the past 50 years and it could be related to occupational and environmental exposures. The objective of this chapter is to summarize the negative impact of pesticides and heavy metal exposures on male reproductive function. Many pesticides and heavy metals are considered reproductive toxicants and may adversely affect the male reproductive system causing hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis disruption or directly affecting spermatogenesis, resulting in impaired semen quality. The negative effects of these compounds have been related to the main sperm parameters (sperm concentration, morphology, motility, volume, and total sperm count), DNA sperm damage, as well as alterations of the reproductive hormone levels. Further studies are warranted to explore and confirm the potential damage of current commercial chemical substances, and their mixtures, on human reproductive health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón PhD, Jaime Mendiola PhD & Alberto M. Torres-Cantero MD, DrPH

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  1. Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón PhD
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  2. Jaime Mendiola PhD
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  3. Alberto M. Torres-Cantero MD, DrPH
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Correspondence to Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón PhD .

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  1. Division of Medical Physiology, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa

    Stefan S. du Plessis

  2. Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Ashok Agarwal

  3. Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Edmund S. Sabanegh, Jr.

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Mínguez-Alarcón, L., Mendiola, J., Torres-Cantero, A.M. (2014). Pesticides and Heavy Metal Toxicity. In: du Plessis, S., Agarwal, A., Sabanegh, Jr., E. (eds) Male Infertility. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1040-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1040-3_12

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