{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T04:07:56Z","timestamp":1790741276304,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":121,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,15]],"date-time":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1631664000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100019157","name":"Fundaci\u00f3n para el Fomento de la Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria y Biom\u00e9dica de la Comunitat Valenciana","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UGP-19-042, UGP-20-039"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UGP-19-042, UGP-20-039"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100019157","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antioxidants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Heavy metals are endocrine disruptors which interfere with processes mediated by endogenous hormones of the organism, negatively affecting endocrine functions. Some studies have correlated heavy metal exposure with male infertility. However, the number of studies conducted on humans are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to summarize the current knowledge on how heavy metals influence human male fertility. Hence, three distinct databases were consulted\u2014PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science\u2014using single keywords and combinations of them. The total number of identified articles was 636. Nevertheless, by using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 144 articles were finally included in this work. Results display that the development of adequate instruments for heavy metal assessment may play an important function in human male fertility diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, clinical trials could be useful to confirm the role of heavy metals in human male fertility diagnosis. Overall, further research is required to fully understand the molecular and cellular basis of the influence of environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals on human male infertility and reproductive outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox10091473","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,15]],"date-time":"2021-09-15T12:00:44Z","timestamp":1631707244000},"page":"1473","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":96,"title":["Impact of Heavy Metals on Human Male Fertility\u2014An Overview"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9931-826X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"L\u00f3pez-Botella","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Service of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unit of Human Reproduction, FISABIO\u2014San Juan University Hospital, Carretera Alicante-Valencia s\/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain"},{"name":"Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s\/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5497-5813","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Irene","family":"Velasco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unit of Human Reproduction, FISABIO\u2014San Juan University Hospital, Carretera Alicante-Valencia s\/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain"},{"name":"Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s\/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6536-453X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maribel","family":"Aci\u00e9n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unit of Human Reproduction, FISABIO\u2014San Juan University Hospital, Carretera Alicante-Valencia s\/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain"},{"name":"Gynecology Division, Faculty of Medicine, Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez University, Carretera Alicante-Valencia s\/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6840-8788","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paula","family":"S\u00e1ez-Espinosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s\/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9151-7050","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9-Luis","family":"Todol\u00ed-Torr\u00f3","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s\/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0283-6103","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Romero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s\/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2384-8154","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9","family":"G\u00f3mez-Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig s\/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12958-015-0032-1","article-title":"A unique view on male infertility around the globe","volume":"13","author":"Agarwal","year":"2015","journal-title":"Reprod. 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