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Cited by 67Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicalsSperm and Testicular FunctionPesticide Exposure and Toxicity

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in seminal plasma and couple fecundity

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Buck Louis, Germaine M., Smarr, Melissa M., Sun, Liping, Chen, Zhen, Honda, Masato, Wang, Wei, Karthikraj, Rajendiran, Weck, Jennifer +1 more·2018·Environmental Research
DOI 10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.028PMC PMC5878734
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Abstract

Growing evidence supports the importance of men's exposure to non-persistent endocrine disruptors (EDCs) and couple fecundability, as measured by time-to-pregnancy (TTP). This evolving literature contrasts with the largely equivocal findings reported for women's exposures and fecundity. While most evidence relies upon urinary concentrations, quantification of EDCs in seminal plasma may be more informative about potential toxicity arising within the testes. We analyzed 5 chemical classes of non-persistent EDCs in seminal plasma for 339 male partners of couples who were recruited prior to conception and who were followed daily until pregnant or after one year of trying. Benzophenones, bisphenols, parabens, and phthalate metabolites and phthalate diesters were measured using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) except for phthalate diesters, which were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Cox regression with discrete-time was used to estimate fecundability odds ratios (FORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each chemical to estimate the probability of pregnancy. While most EDCs were detected in seminal plasma, concentrations were lower than urinary concentrations previously analyzed for the cohort. None of the EDCs were significantly associated with fecundability even after covariate adjustment, though benzophenones consistently yielded FORs <1.0 (ranging from 0.72 to 0.91) in couple-adjusted models suggestive of diminished fecundity (longer TTP). The findings underscore that a range of EDCs can be quantified in seminal plasma, but the lower concentrations may require a large cohort for assessing couple fecundability, as well as the need to consider other fecundity outcomes such as semen quality.

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  • DEHP (4.20 μg/L) and DBP (2.06 μg/L) were reported at high concentrations in male seminal plasma from men in the US.

    “Further, DEHP (4.20 µg/L) and DBP (2.06 µg/L) were reported at high concentrations in male seminal plasma from men in the US.”

    From A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures (2019) · cites this paper as [162]

    The Materials and Methods section describes men recruited in Michigan and Texas, and the Results section says DEHP and DBP were detected in all seminal-plasma samples. The passages in our copy do not give the claimed concentrations of 4.20 and 2.06 µg/L or characterize them as high; the Results instead say seminal-plasma concentrations were generally lower than urinary concentrations. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The metabolites of DEHP (∑0.98 μg/L) and MBP (2.97 μg/L) were present in considerable concentrations in seminal plasma in the same study.

    “The metabolites of DEHP (∑0.98 µg/L) and MBP (2.97 µg/L) also were present in considerable concentrations in seminal plasma in the same study [162].”

    From A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures (2019) · cites this paper as [162]

    The Results (page not provided) say that MnBP and DEHP were detected in all seminal-plasma samples, and the Methods list phthalate metabolites measured in seminal plasma. The passages do not report a summed DEHP-metabolite concentration of 0.98 µg/L or an MBP concentration of 2.97 µg/L; they distinguish DEHP, a parent phthalate, from the measured metabolites. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Buck Louis, G. M., Smarr, M. M., Sun, L., Chen, Z., Honda, M., Wang, W., Karthikraj, R., Weck, J., & Kannan, K.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • New York State Department of Health (US)
ORCID
Venue
Environmental Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-05
Volume
163
Pages
64-70
ISSN
0013-9351 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.028
PMC
PMC5878734
OpenAlex
W2790362275
Cited by
67
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5
FWCI
3.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Environmental Research (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (N01-HD-3–3356, NOH-HD-3–3358, HHSN275201100001I, N01-HD-3–3355)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Sperm and Testicular Function
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
Keywords
endocrine disruptors, seminal plasma, time to pregnancy, male fertility, benzophenone, bisphenols, parabens, phthalate metabolites, phthalate diesters
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, Fertility, Humans, Male, Semen, Endocrine Disruptors, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Semen Analysis, Time-to-Pregnancy

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