ABSTRACT

Aim: To determine whether there is a relation between abnormal semen parameters and occupational exposure to excess heat, chemical solvents and pesticides.

Study design: Cross sectional study.

Place and duration of study: Life Medicare and Areeba Clinic of Fertility Centres, District Faisalabad, Punjab from 1st January 2019 to 30th June 2019.

Methodology: Three hundred and sixty semen samples were collected from married men between 25 to 55 years of age, with different occupations. Semen analysis was done using computer assisted semen analysis (CASA) technique.

Results: There was a strong association between industrial hazards and their effects on male reproductive health. Exposure to high heat in bakers and oven workers (Tandoor) showed remarkable decrease in sperm count, motility and morphology. Workers who were exposed to textile chemicals had disturbed sperm morphology and moderately decreased sperm count along with motility.

Conclusions: High heat has strong association with spermatogenesis and influences normal sperm motility. Working environment for bakers and oven workers (Tandoor) seems to be very hostile for their reproductive health, while textile chemical industry worker had better working environment and their results were slightly better than oven workers. Farmers and gardeners seem to be on safer side due to their working environment in open fields and garden. Their sperm count, motility and morphology were much better than other two groups.

Keywords: Computer assisted semen analysis, Male infertility, Occupational hazards, Sperm count,