Long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to a higher risk of infertility in men, while prolonged exposure to road traffic noise is associated with a higher infertility risk in women, a recent study found.
The peer-reviewed Danish study, published Wednesday in the BMJ, said exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was linked to a greater likelihood of an infertility diagnosis in men, independent of age. Meanwhile, road traffic noise showed a similar association with infertility in women over 35 and potentially in men over 37.
If these results are confirmed in future studies, higher fertility could be added to the list of health benefits from regulating noise and air pollution, the Danish researchers argued.
“We already know that noise and air pollution are linked to other diseases like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes for example. So if we can add infertility to this, it is a better argument for doing something and against these things,” said Allan Jensen, senior author of …