J Infertil Reprod Biol, 2020, Volume 8, Issue 4, Pages: 66-67. https://doi.org/10.47277/JIRB/8(4)/66
Environmental Pollution: a Risk Factor for
Female Fertility-A Letter to Editor
Azam Soleimani
Kazerun Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran
Received: 12/09/2020
Accepted: 4/10/2020
Published: 20/12/2020
Abstract
Experimental data indicate that exposure to environmental pollution can lead to serious complications on the female
reproductive system. Environmental pollution appears to affect reproductive success and outcomes by endocrine disruption
and/or reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress. The aim of this letter to editor is to elucidate the impact of
exposures to environmental pollutants on female reproductive health and outcomes. There is a need to increase the awareness
among women to avoid exposure to the reproductive risk factors.
Keywords: Environmental pollution, Female, Fertility
Significant evidences exist to support environmental
pollution exposure as a risk factor for fertility (1-3). These
studies mostly focused on certain toxicants, heavy metals
disorders such as early spontaneous abortion, embryonic
mortality, premature delivery and low birthweight are
considered to related to imbalance between ROS
production and antioxidant ROS detoxification pathways
(2, 18, 19). Maternal exposure to heavy metals including
cadmium (Cd) has been shown to be associated with
preeclampsia (20). Others found association of early
delivery and low birthweight with maternal cadmium
exposure (2, 21, 22). There are reports on maternal
exposure to lead and adverse pregnancy outcomes
including delay in growth and pubertal development (23).
Some evidences have been shown that exposure to heavy
metal can induce the excessive production of ROS,
oxidative stress and developmental toxicity (2, 14).
Epidemiological studies have documented close
association between working women and higher risk of
undesirable reproductive outcome. As preventing the
discharge of environmental pollutants is an important
factor, it would seem to be crucial to increase awareness
of risk factors among the population to efficiently reduce
environmental pollutants.
(
arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury), pesticides such as
bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane and organic
solvent such as benzene, toluene and ionizing radiation
(
4). There are also evidences that exposure to indoor air
pollution could play a role in the pathogenesis of female
infertility (5, 6). The most relevant air pollutants are in
four main categories: organic compounds, gaseous
pollutants (sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrate oxide (NO2) and
carbon monoxide (CO)), heavy metals and particulate
matter (PM10 PM2.5-10and PM2.5) (5, 7). Environmental
pollution has been suggested to be acted on one or more
organs through different and/or similar mechanisms of
action. Although the specific mechanism is unclear,
observed evidences have shown that exposure to
environmental pollution induces endocrine disruption and
may lead to disrupt the dynamic hormone-dependent
signaling pathways in differentiating tissues (8).
Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are able to
mimic hormones and can cause reproductive problems
such as miscarriages, impaired fertility, endometriosis,
irregularities of the menstrual cycle, intrauterine growth
restriction, polycystic ovarian syndrome and infertility (9,
References
1. Kumar S, Sharma, A, Kshetrimayum C. Environmental &
occupational exposure
&
female reproductive
1
0) . Bisphenol-A(BPA), phthalates, parabens, tributyltin
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(
TBT) and triclosan (TCS), are abundant endocrine
disruptor and widely spread in the environment and food
chain (11). Moreover, environmental chemicals may
involve reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative
stress or DNA methylation impairing fertility as well as
pregnancy and its outcomes (12-14). Oxidative stress
induced by ROS can lead to oxidative damage of cellular
macromolecules and mitochondrial DNA (15). Therefore,
mitochondria is a vital target for many environmental
pollution (16). Pollutant-induced mitochondrial ROS may
affect early embryogenesis and post-implantation prenatal
development (17). Thus, some pregnancy-related
2. Al-Gubory KH. Environmental pollutants and lifestyle
factors induce oxidative stress and poor prenatal
development. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2014;
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3. Nateghian Z, Aliabadi. E Aspects of Environmental
Pollutants on Male Fertility and Sperm Parameters.
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2020;8(1):299-309.
4. Rzymski P, Tomczyk K, Poniedzialek BImpact of heavy
metals on the female reproductive system. Annals of
Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2015;22(2).
Corresponding author: Azam Soleimani, Kazerun Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran.
E-mail: soleimaniaz@yahoo.com
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