Evaluation of the environmental pollution on male fertility in areas of the eastern sicily recognized at risk.

Several evidences show a negative impact of the environmental pollution on the reproductive system. Many of these studies have focused on the professional exposure, but there are only few them have taken into account the negative effects on population after exposure to environmental pollution. The aim of the study is to evaluate the presence of possible alterations of sperm parameters of male exposed to air pollution. We studied a group of 83 volunteers (aged 20-45 years) resident in the Priolo-Augusta-Melilli (SR) triangle, which has been declared “area at elevated environmental crisis” (Italian Government note). We carried out the analysis of the air sampling for the determination of heavy metals (arsenium, lead, vanadium, cadmium, mercury, boron, nickel), several PCBs, 16 EPA priority PAHs and for TSP. The analytes from Priolo-Augusta-Melilli filter air samples were dissolved for the in vitro study to look at the effect of the air xenobiotics on spermatozoa of normospermic men. Spermatozoa were selected by swim-up procedure and incubated with increasing concentrations of the air extract for 3h using an experimental model already established in the laboratory. At the end of the incubation progressive motility (a+b) was evaluated. The samples showed a motility reduction from 45% to 23 % (50% reduction). In male volunteers, living in the study area, sperm density and morphology were into the reference limit of WHO parameters, whereas a slight decrease was detected in progressive motility. Addictional genomic studies are in progress in these subjects in our laboratory.