Associations of semen quality with non-essential heavy metals in blood and seminal fluid: data from the Environment and Male Infertility (EMI) study in Lebanon

Carol Sukhn; Johnny Awwad; Akram Ghantous; Ghazi Zaatari

doi:10.1007/s10815-018-1236-z

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J Assist Reprod Genet. 2018 Sep; 35(9): 1691–1701.

Published online 2018 Jun 21. doi: 10.1007/s10815-018-1236-z

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Table 3

Comparison between blood and seminal fluid heavy metal concentrations within same participants in the EMI study

	All participants (low-quality and normal-quality semen) (n = 116)
Variable	Blood	Seminal fluid	p value
Pb	31.21 (44.43 ± 42.96)	5.40 (14.64 ± 30.87)	0.00 ^a
Cd	6.55 (20.96 ± 45.81)	4.98 (34.48 ± 168.39)	0.50
As	12.10 (20.57 ± 23.89)	17.87 (37.53 ± 48.97)	0.00 ^b
Ba	9.00 (101.58 ± 319.37)	9.75 (52.31 ± 175.66)	0.20
Hg	11.05 (54.27 ± 260.39)	10.85 (52.60 ± 151.33)	0.20
U	0.61 (1.26 ± 2.44)	1.50 (4.03 ± 13.27)	0.00 ^b

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Values in micrograms per liter are median (mean ± SD). Significance levels (p value < 0.05) when comparing blood and seminal fluid heavy metals, using Wilcoxon signed rank paired non-parametric test) (italicized characters)

^aBased on positive ranks (blood > seminal fluid levels)

^bBased on negative ranks (blood < seminal fluid levels)