Association between semen quality and meteorological variables

VERÓN, GUSTAVO LUIS; TISSERA, ANDREA DANIELA; BELLO, RICARDO; MOLINA, ROSA ISABEL; VAZQUEZ-LEVIN, MÓNICA HEBE

Congreso; GoGreen 2021; 2021

Semen analysis is an indispensable tool for assessing male fertility potential. It provides essential information on male genital tract functionality, such as testicular sperm production, duct obstruction, and accessory glands secretion. The evaluation of associations between risk factors and semen quality is fundamental for clinical management. This blind cross-sectional study assessed the association of meteorological variables (temperature, humidity, pressure, sunshine duration, temperature-humidity index, apparent temperature, and simplified wet-bulb globe temperature) during spermatogenesis upon human semen quality. A large cohort of men (n=11657) was subjected to a thorough semen evaluation, which included the assessment of semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, vitality, morphology, round cells, membrane competence, nuclear maturity, and sperm kinematics following the World Health Organization guidelines (2010 Manual) and internal/external quality assurance standards at LAR andrology laboratory in Córdoba, Argentina. As a result, sperm quality parameters were negatively affected in summer when compared to winter, and there was a significant decrease in sperm kinematics between winter and spring. A predictor selection algorithm followed by regression analysis revealed that changes in sunshine duration and humidity were significantly associated to changes in semen quality. Highest/lowest sunshine duration and humidity quantiles resulted in decreased sperm concentration, motility, vitality and membrane competence, nuclear maturity, and sperm kinematics associated to highest sunshine duration and lowest humidity periods. Altogether, these findings highlight the relevance of environmental studies for predicting alterations in male reproductive health associated to variations in meteorological variables, especially considering the current climate changes around the planet due to global warming and its consequences for human health.