Chemical linked to male infertility

A chemical widely used in industry and present in ground water, has now been found in the semen fluid of infertile men, reports a Queen's University research scientist.

Poh-Gek Forkert's study of male mechanics who use trichloroethylene (TCE) in the workplace shows the presence of TCE in their semen. F indings are reported in the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition.

TCE is a volatile chemical used extensively in the automotive and metal industries as a de-greasing agent. It is also found in adhesives, lubricants, paints, varnishes, paint strippers, pesticides, spot removers and rug cleaning fluids, and has been detected in both underground and surface water sources.

Already linked to liver, kidney and lung damage, TCE has not until now been linked to reproductive disorders. "Our earlier studies on mice showed damage to reproductive tissue following TCE exposure, and the findings suggested impaired fertility," says Forkert. "We were interested in determining if there is also a link between TCE exposure and infertility in humans."

In the most recent study, seminal fluid from mechanics who had been exposed to TCE in the workplace — and who had previously been diagnosed with infertility — was analysed for TCE and its by-products (metabolites). All the semen samples contained TCE and metabolites.

"Taken together, results of our studies in mice and humans support the premise that TCE is metabolised in the human reproductive tract, and can adversely affect the normal development of sperm," says Forkert.