Semen quality in Peruvian pesticide applicators: association between urinary organophosphate metabolites and semen parameters

Abstract

Background: Organophosphates are broad class of chemicals widely used as pesticides throughout the world. We performed a cross-sectional study of associations between dialkylphosphate metabolites of organophosphates and semen quality among pesticide applicators in Majes (Arequipa), Peru.

Environmental factors and semen quality

“…The poorest semen quality was found among farmers with the highest OP exposure and the highest urinary OP levels. The results showed a significant decrease in total sperm count among subjects with the highest exposure to OP [48] (Table 4). In summary, there are several indications that some pesticides may impair semen quality in humans, but weak exposure assessment in most studies precludes proper identification of responsible agents and evaluation of exposure-response relations.…”

“…The next study where the exposure to carbaryl and chlorpyrifos was analysed by detecting the urinary metabolites showed an associated between exposure and lower sperm concentration and motility among men attending an infertility clinic [42] (Table 4). Yucra et al [48] reported a significant reduction of semen volume and an increase in semen pH in men with organophosphate metabolites in urine in the study performed in Peru [48]. The poorest semen quality was found among farmers with the highest OP exposure and the highest urinary OP levels.…”

“…However, in the studies on pesticide exposure and semen quality the exposure was based in almost all studies on the job titles. Only Swan et al and Yucra et al [40,48] used specific biomarkers of pesticide exposure [40,48]. It is well known that misclassification of exposure may occur if the type of exposure is based solely on subject's memory.…”

Simultaneous analytical method for urinary metabolites of organophosphorus compounds and moth repellents in general population

“…Most organophosphorus insecticides are mainly degraded to dialkylphosphates and phenolic metabolites in mammals [17]. To monitor human exposure to the insecticides, urinary dialkylphosphates have generally been measured in previous studies [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. However, the parent compounds cannot be identified from urinary dialkylphosphates because they are common metabolites resulting from most organophosphorus insecticides.…”

Measurement of Organophosphate Pesticides, Organochlorine Pesticides, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Household Dust from Two Rural Villages in Nepal

“…Recio-Vega et al [31] found that among men with high urinary organophosphate pesticide (OP) levels, the total sperm count was significantly decreased. Yucra et al [32] found a significant association between high levels of ethylated OP metabolites in urine and low seminal volume in Peruvian pesticide applicators. In addition, a case-control study in the People's Republic of China found that men with higher urinary levels of OP dimethylphosphate metabolites were more likely to have low sperm motility and concentration [33].…”