Polluted Air and Smoke Can Affect Your Fertility and Body Organs

Pollution is basically a combination of dust and smoke containing various harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide as well as various harmful chemicals. Most of these, together with water vapor, are carcinogenic and cause the formation of particulate matter, which we call PM 2.5 and PM 10. This causes a lot of Pollution. This 2.5, 10 is the diameter of these particles in microns and is 20 times smaller than the diameter of a single hair strand. Now, these tiny pollutants can go deep into the lung when inhaled, entering the alveoli where gas exchange also takes place, where CO2 and O2 uptake into the blood is released. These particles can get into the blood and enter all parts of the body, blocking many small vessels of the brain, leading to stroke.

Pollution Triggers Infertility Problem

Infertility is triggered by air pollution because these pollutants cause blockage in small blood vessels, resulting in erectile dysfunction and low sperm count. It affects the whole blood supply mechanism in men as well as women, making it difficult for them to become pregnant.

Even if a woman can become pregnant, in most cases the baby is not getting the necessary nutrients through the blood and this can pose a risk. Just like smoking, pollution can cause infertility and affect all reproductive function.

Questionable Relationship Between Air Pollution and Fertility Problems

Air pollution is involved in many pathologies that affect many physiological functions, including reproduction. For decades, a causal relationship between air pollution and certain human health problems, including fertility issues, was suspected. Copper, Lead, Zinc etc. Heavy metals such as ground-level ozone (O3), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) (an indicator for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) and particulate matter (PM) containing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are the most problematic pollutants. The main sources of these pollutants are transportation and industry. Air pollution has a negative effect on both male and female gametogenesis. These effects affect not only the number of gametes, but also their quality at the genetic and epigenetic level. These effects also alter embryo development.

The mechanism underlying the effect of air pollutants on female fertility is still a matter of debate. In natural understanding, reduced fertility has been associated with solvents and SO2 in different studies. Higher abortion rate was associated with traffic pollutants.

The effect of air pollutants on male fertility and spermatogenesis has also been investigated in various studies. Increased sperm DNA fragmentation was associated with increased exposure to air pollution. One conducted study reported that exposure to PM2.5 negatively correlated with sperm morphology and motility. The adverse effect of particulate matter was confirmed in a recent prospective cohort study that identified a significant association between PM10 and PM2.5 and sperm chromosomal abnormalities.

As a result There is a close relationship between male and female infertility and air pollution. However, more robust data are needed before any firm conclusions can be made.

In children, recurrent chest infections due to pollution can cause lung growth inhibition, making them more prone to future lung disease.