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Environmental Impact on Semen Quality and Male Fertility

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Environmental Endocrinology and Endocrine Disruptors

Part of the book series: Endocrinology ((ENDOCR))

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Abstract

In recent years, a mounting evidence has highlighted a decline of semen quality and increase in male infertility. The alterations in male reproductive system may be caused by several environmental factors, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), heavy metals, air pollution, and electromagnetic fields. These compounds interfere with the action of hormones via multiple mechanisms and thus may lead to male infertility of both animals and humans. In this review, we discuss the current literature on the effects and underlying mechanisms of different classes of EDCs, including bisphenol-A, phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls, organophosphate pesticides, and perfluorochemicals, in male reproductive system and semen quality. In addition, we provide an overview of studies that investigated the association between other environmental pollutants, such as heavy metals, air pollution and electromagnetic fields, and male infertility.

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Acknowledgment

This study was funded by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (MIUR-PRIN 2017-2017S9KTNE_003) and the University of Rome “Sapienza” Faculty of Medicine.

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Author notes

  1. Francesco Pallotti and Marianna Pelloni contributed equally with all other contributors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Seminology – Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Francesco Pallotti, Marianna Pelloni, Stefano Colangelo, Andrea Lenzi, Francesco Lombardo & Donatella Paoli

  2. Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Daniele Gianfrilli

Authors
  1. Francesco Pallotti
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  2. Marianna Pelloni
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  3. Stefano Colangelo
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  4. Daniele Gianfrilli
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  5. Andrea Lenzi
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  6. Francesco Lombardo
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  7. Donatella Paoli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Donatella Paoli .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Sezione di Endocrinologia, Unità di Andrologia e Medicina della Riproduzione e della Sessualità Maschile e Femminile (FERTISEXCARES), Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy

    Rosario Pivonello

  2. Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis

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Pallotti, F. et al. (2023). Environmental Impact on Semen Quality and Male Fertility. In: Pivonello, R., Diamanti-Kandarakis, E. (eds) Environmental Endocrinology and Endocrine Disruptors . Endocrinology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39044-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39044-0_9

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