{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T19:31:58Z","timestamp":1787772718474,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Wenzhou has improved its environmental quality because of comprehensive environmental remediation; nevertheless, the semen quality of infertile males remains unclear. This study determined whether better environmental quality improved semen quality in this region. We recorded semen quality data from 22 962 infertile males from January 2014 to November 2019 at the Center for Reproductive Health of The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China). Patients were predominantly 30\u201335 years old (33.1%) and workers (82.0%), with high school education or lower (77.6%); more than a half of the patients (52.6%) were Wenzhou household registration; and most patients (77.5%) had abnormal semen quality. Patients who were older than 40 years and workers, and those with Wenzhou household registration, had significantly worse semen quality (all P &lt; 0.05). From 2014 to 2019, progressive sperm motility, total sperm motility, and semen volume showed increasing linear trends in all patients (P = 0.021, 0.030, and 0.005, respectively), yet normal sperm morphology showed a linearly decreasing trend (P = 0.046). Sensitivity analyses for subgroups yielded similar results. In conclusion, the improvement of environmental quality and better function of the accessory glands are associated with progressive sperm motility, total sperm motility, and semen volume. Normal sperm morphology is influenced by occupational exposures and personal lifestyle and does not improve with environmental quality.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4103\/aja202239","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,16]],"date-time":"2022-07-16T04:18:35Z","timestamp":1657945115000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Will male semen quality improve with environmental quality?"],"prefix":"10.4103","author":[{"given":"Xu-Chao","family":"Dai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meng-Qi","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gang","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kun","family":"Mei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Geography Science and Geomatics Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan-Long","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for Healthy China, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China"},{"name":"Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Watershed Sciences and Health, Wenzhou 325035, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhi-Gang","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China"},{"name":"Reproductive Health Research Center, Health Assessment Center of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1520","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2009.09.009","article-title":"International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology (ICMART) and the World Health Organization (WHO) revised glossary of ART terminology,","volume":"92","author":"Zegers-Hochschild","year":"2009","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"B2-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinbiochem.2018.03.012","article-title":"Fertility and infertility:definition and epidemiology","volume":"62","author":"Vander","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin Biochem"},{"key":"B3-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2018.06.024","article-title":"Small RNAs gained during epididymal transit of sperm are essential for embryonic development in mice","volume":"46","author":"Conine","year":"2018","journal-title":"Dev Cell"},{"key":"B4-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.4103\/aja.aja_19_17","article-title":"Sperm DNA damage has a negative effect on early embryonic development following in vitro fertilization","volume":"20","author":"Zheng","year":"2018","journal-title":"Asian J Androl"},{"key":"B5-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"818","DOI":"10.1111\/andr.12645","article-title":"Semen quality of young men in Switzerland:a nationwide cross-sectional population-based study","volume":"7","author":"Rahban","year":"2019","journal-title":"Andrology"},{"key":"B6-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2016.09.035","article-title":"Decline in semen quality among 30,636 young Chinese men from 2001 to 2015","volume":"107","author":"Huang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"B7-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"757","DOI":"10.1590\/S1677-5538.IBJU.2014.0186","article-title":"Decline in semen quality among infertile men in Brazil during the past 10 years","volume":"41","author":"Borges","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int Braz J Urol"},{"key":"B8-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.4103\/1008-682X.135984","article-title":"Evaluation of semen quality in 1808 university students, from Wuhan, Central China","volume":"17","author":"Rao","year":"2015","journal-title":"Asian J Androl"},{"key":"B9-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1297","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2018.10.052","article-title":"Secular trends in semen parameters among men attending a fertility center between 2000 and 2017:identifying potential predictors","volume":"121","author":"M\u00ednguez-Alarc\u00f3n","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"B10-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1111\/andr.12149","article-title":"Decline in sperm count and motility in young adult men from 2003 to 2013:observations from a U. S. sperm bank","volume":"4","author":"Centola","year":"2016","journal-title":"Andrology"},{"key":"B11-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.4103\/1008-682X.179533","article-title":"Decline of semen quality among Chinese sperm bank donors within 7 years (2008-2014)","volume":"19","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Asian J Androl"},{"key":"B12-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e13502","DOI":"10.1111\/and.13502","article-title":"The Uruguayan semen donor population:a twenty-eight-year retrospective study","volume":"52","author":"Barrera","year":"2020","journal-title":"Andrologia"},{"key":"B13-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1186\/s12610-021-00128-6","article-title":"Decline of semen quality over the last 30 years in Uruguay","volume":"31","author":"Rosa-Villagr\u00e1n","year":"2021","journal-title":"Basic Clin Androl"},{"key":"B14-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-10-24","article-title":"Decreasing sperm quality:a global problem?","volume":"10","author":"Merzenich","year":"2010","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B15-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1875","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2008.12.089","article-title":"Decreased sperm motility is associated with air pollution in Salt Lake City","volume":"93","author":"Hammoud","year":"2010","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"B16-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gexplo.2011.08.009","article-title":"Does heavy metals pollution affects semen quality in men?A case of study in the metropolitan area of Naples (Italy)","volume":"112","author":"Giaccio","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Geochem Explor"},{"key":"B17-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2016.05.053","article-title":"Sperm quality and environment:a retrospective, cohort study in a Northern province of Italy","volume":"150","author":"Santi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"B18-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105627","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2020.105627","article-title":"Gamete quality in a multistressor environment","volume":"138","author":"Gallo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"B19-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109756","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2020.109756","article-title":"Sperm quality and ambient air pollution exposure:a retrospective, cohort study in a Southern province of China","volume":"188","author":"Huang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"B20-20240829","first-page":"101","article-title":"Environmental and occupational exposures associated with male infertility","volume":"72","author":"Mari\u0107","year":"2021","journal-title":"Arh Hig Rada Toksikol"},{"key":"B21-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4198","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21124198","article-title":"Discovery of the involvement in DNA oxidative damage of human sperm nuclear basic proteins of healthy young men living in polluted areas","volume":"21","author":"Lettieri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"key":"B22-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6710","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21186710","article-title":"Molecular alterations in spermatozoa of a family case living in the land of fires \u2013a first look at possible transgenerational effects of pollutants","volume":"21","author":"Lettieri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"key":"B23-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8833","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18168833","article-title":"Could kallikrein-related serine peptidase 3 be an early biomarker of environmental exposure in young women?","volume":"18","author":"Raimondo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B24-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2013.12.030","article-title":"Air pollution and decreased semen quality:a comparative study of Chongqing urban and rural areas","volume":"187","author":"Zhou","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ Pollut"},{"key":"B25-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.reprotox.2016.07.018","article-title":"Human semen as an early, sensitive biomarker of highly polluted living environment in healthy men:a pilot biomonitoring study on trace elements in blood and semen and their relationship with sperm quality and RedOx status","volume":"66","author":"Bergamo","year":"2016","journal-title":"Reprod Toxicol"},{"key":"B27-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1016\/j.euf.2021.01.017","article-title":"Effects of a lifestyle change intervention on semen quality in healthy young men living in highly polluted areas in Italy:the FASt randomized controlled trial","volume":"8","author":"Montano","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur Urol Focus"},{"key":"B28-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37031","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-021-14579-x","article-title":"Semen quality as a potential susceptibility indicator to SARS-CoV-2 insults in polluted areas","volume":"28","author":"Montano","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res Int"},{"key":"B29-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6846","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18136846","article-title":"Air pollution and COVID-19:a possible dangerous synergy for male fertility","volume":"18","author":"Montano","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B30-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1016\/j.reprotox.2006.11.001","article-title":"Sperm quality, birth rates and the environment in Flanders (Belgium)","volume":"23","author":"Comhaire","year":"2007","journal-title":"Reprod Toxicol"},{"key":"B36-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"592","DOI":"10.1089\/gtmb.2011.0241","article-title":"Effect of benzene exposure on fertility of male workers employed in bulk drug industries","volume":"16","author":"Katukam","year":"2012","journal-title":"Genet Test Mol Biomarkers"},{"key":"B37-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.4103\/aja.aja_83_20","article-title":"Analysis of semen quality of 38 905 infertile male patients during 2008-2016 in Wenzhou, China","volume":"23","author":"Wu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Asian J Androl"},{"key":"B38-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.1103921","article-title":"Occupational exposure to benzene and chromosomal structural aberrations in the sperm of Chinese men","volume":"120","author":"Marchetti","year":"2012","journal-title":"Environ Health Perspect"},{"key":"B39-20240829","first-page":"53","article-title":"[Effect of benzene on sperm DNA","volume":"11","author":"Song","year":"2005","journal-title":"Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue"},{"key":"B40-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3292","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2007-0367","article-title":"Transient scrotal hyperthermia and levonorgestrel enhance testosterone-induced spermatogenesis suppression in men through increased germ cell apoptosis","volume":"92","author":"Wang","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Clin Endocrinol Metab"},{"key":"B41-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"883","DOI":"10.1016\/j.acthis.2014.02.008","article-title":"Scrotal heat induced the Nrf2-driven antioxidant response during oxidative stress and apoptosis in the mouse testis","volume":"116","author":"Li","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acta Histochem"},{"key":"B42-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1687657","DOI":"10.1155\/2016\/1687657","article-title":"Evaluation of lasting effects of heat stress on sperm profile and oxidative status of ram semen and epididymal sperm","volume":"2016","author":"Hamilton","year":"2016","journal-title":"Oxid Med Cell Longev"},{"key":"B43-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e13595","DOI":"10.1111\/and.13595","article-title":"Do lifestyle practices impede male fertility?","volume":"53","author":"Leisegang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Andrologia"},{"key":"B44-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e15730","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000015730","article-title":"Association between outdoor air pollution and semen quality:protocol for an updated systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"98","author":"Zhang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Medicine (Baltimore)"},{"key":"B45-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4095","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-020-11589-z","article-title":"Pollutants and sperm quality:a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"28","author":"Pizzol","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res Int"},{"key":"B46-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1016\/j.beem.2013.07.004","article-title":"Effects of age on male fertility","volume":"27","author":"Zitzmann","year":"2013","journal-title":"Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab"},{"key":"B47-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"414","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.5927","article-title":"Geographic differences in semen quality of fertile U. S. males","volume":"111","author":"Swan","year":"2003","journal-title":"Environ Health Perspect"},{"key":"B48-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1512","DOI":"10.1111\/andr.13024","article-title":"Regional and ethnic differences in semen quality and reproductive hormones in Russia:a Siberian population-based cohort study of young men","volume":"9","author":"Osadchuk","year":"2021","journal-title":"Andrology"},{"key":"B49-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109528","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2020.109528","article-title":"Ambient air pollution and male fecundity:a retrospective analysis of longitudinal data from a Chinese human sperm bank (2013-2018)","volume":"186","author":"Qiu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"B50-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/s12940-022-00831-5","article-title":"Association between ambient particulate matter exposure and semen quality in fertile men","volume":"21","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ Health"},{"key":"B51-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2148684","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.48684","article-title":"Association of exposure to particulate matter air pollution with semen quality among men in China","volume":"5","author":"Zhao","year":"2022","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"key":"B52-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1186\/s12958-018-0449-4","article-title":"Water and soil pollution as determinant of water and food quality\/contamination and its impact on male fertility","volume":"17","author":"Di","year":"2019","journal-title":"Reprod Biol Endocrinol"},{"key":"B53-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmg027","article-title":"Role of sperm chromatin abnormalities and DNA damage in male infertility","volume":"9","author":"Agarwal","year":"2003","journal-title":"Hum Reprod Update"},{"key":"B54-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1745-7262.2006.00112.x","article-title":"Sperm chromatin structure and male fertility:biological and clinical aspects","volume":"8","author":"Erenpreiss","year":"2006","journal-title":"Asian J Androl"},{"key":"B55-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e002223","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2012-002223","article-title":"Semen quality of fertile Japanese men:a cross-sectional population-based study of 792 men","volume":"3","author":"Iwamoto","year":"2013","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B56-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"846","DOI":"10.1111\/andr.12963","article-title":"Is there a temporal trend in semen quality in Belgian candidate sperm donors and in sperm donors'fertility potential from 1995 onwards?","volume":"9","author":"Sugihara","year":"2021","journal-title":"Andrology"},{"key":"B57-20240829","first-page":"286","article-title":"Seminal profile of 23,504 patients over the years:7 years of experience","volume":"22","author":"Nogueira","year":"2018","journal-title":"Jbra Assis Reprod"},{"key":"B58-20240829","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/14.3.731","article-title":"Evolution of semen quality in North-eastern Spain:a study in 22,759 infertile men over a 36 year period","volume":"14","author":"Andolz","year":"1999","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"}],"container-title":["Asian Journal of Andrology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/aja202239","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T19:10:19Z","timestamp":1787771419000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/aja202239"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,15]]},"references-count":52,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/aja202239","relation":{},"ISSN":["1745-7262","1008-682X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1745-7262","type":"print"},{"value":"1008-682X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,15]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2022-02-06","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2022-05-16","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}