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The Current Epidemiologic Evidence on Exposures to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Male Reproductive Health

  • Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology (EF Schisterman and E Yeung, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Environmental epidemiologists have given heightened research attention to the class of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, in recent years due to their ubiquity, persistence, and evidence of hormonal activity. Whereas prevalence studies have documented changes in serum levels over time among populations in the USA and elsewhere, few human reproductive health studies have been conducted. Given the weight of evidence demonstrating that hormonally active synthetic compounds can impact spermatogenesis, of interest is whether environmental exposures to PFASs are impacting sperm health and male fertility. We review the albeit scant empirical evidence to date to draw attention to this avenue of investigation and to highlight the types of studies that are needed to determine whether and how PFASs impact male reproduction.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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  1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Avenue, 419—Floor 4, Washington, DC, 20052, USA

    Melissa J. Perry, GiaLinh N. Nguyen & Nicholas D. Porter

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  1. Melissa J. Perry
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Melissa Perry, GiaLinh Nguyen, and Nicholas Porter declare no conflicts of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology

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Perry, M.J., Nguyen, G.N. & Porter, N.D. The Current Epidemiologic Evidence on Exposures to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Male Reproductive Health. Curr Epidemiol Rep 3, 19–26 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-016-0071-y

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