Evaluation of PAHs in seminal plasma of volunteers from an Sicilian industrialized area.

The seminal plasma provides a nutritive and protective medium for the spermatozoa during their journey through the female reproductive tract. Seminal plasma quality is important for man fertility. Adverse health effects by environmental pollution are an issue of increasing health as a e.g.: chronic diseases and reproductive problems. However such studies are limited in humans. There are inadequate data on humans living in industrialized areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate concentration of 16 EPA priority PAHs in seminal plasma samples of healthy men (age 20-45 years) living in a polluted area of Sicily (Priolo-Augusta-Melilli triangle), which has been declared “area at elevated environmental crisis”. We recruited a total of 80 men in to the study who provided seminal plasma samples. Already is analyzed the PAHs concentration in air sampled and extracted by NIOSH 5506 method. In seminal plasma samples PAHs were extracted by specific internal procedure (liquid-liquidextraction). PAHs were carried out by HPLC-UV-FL (Varian Prostar ). In air samples we found some PAHs reported by average values: Naphtalene 0.07 ?g, Acenaphthene 0.005 ?g, Fluorene 0.005 ?g, Fluoranthene 0.005 ?g, Pyrene 0.010 ?g, B(a)A 0.030 ?g, Chrysene 0.030 ?g, B(b)F 0.010 ?g, B(b)K 0.005 ?g, B(a)P 0.007 ?g, B(g,h,i)P 0.010 ?g, In(1,2,3-cd)Py 0.005 ?g. But in seminal plasma samples were not detected any appreciable PAHs concentration. This results show that in seminal plasma the native PAHs were below method detect limits, therefore the seminal quality plasma could not be affected by PAHs concentration in air. But additional studies are in progress in these volunteers to investigate PAHs metabolites and DNA damage effect.