Spermatogenic capacity in fertile men with elevated exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls

• Cross-sectional study including 266 proven fertile men residing in the Faroe Islands.
• Assessing the effect of persistent pollutants on semen parameters and reproductive hormones.
• A significant positive association was found between serum-PCB and the testosterone/estradiol ratio.
• No association was found between the serum PCB concentration and the semen quality variables.

BackgroundEndocrine disrupting industrial chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are suspected to adversely affect male reproductive functions.ObjectivesThe Faroe Islands community exhibits an unusually wide range of exposures to dietary contaminants, and in this setting we examined the possible association between PCB exposure and semen quality and reproductive hormones in fertile Faroese men.MethodsParticipants in this cross-sectional study include 266 proven fertile men residing in the Faroe Islands. PCB levels and hormone profiles were measured in serum samples taken at the clinical examination that included semen quality parameters.ResultsA significant positive association was seen between serum-PCB and the testosterone/estradiol ratio (p=0.04). In the unadjusted analyses, elevated PCB exposure was associated with increased serum concentrations of SHBG (p=0.01) and FSH (p=0.05). We found no association between the serum PCB concentration and the semen quality variables.ConclusionIn this population of highly exposed fertile men, the current serum-PCB concentration was associated with higher androgen/estrogen ratio. Further studies are needed to establish the findings and further document PCB-associated hormonal effects, any time windows of increased susceptibility, and the role of PCB in sub-fecundity.