Study shows exposure to PM 2.5 may affect success of IVF cycles

Researchers from Emory University, US, found that exposure to air pollution at times when a female's ovaries are producing eggs (also known as oocytes) and when a male's testicles are producing sperm can have a negative impact.

“We saw that both maternal and paternal air pollution exposures during gametogenesis have independent, largely detrimental, effects on early embryological outcomes," said Audrey Gaskins, lead author and associate professor of epidemiology at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory.

The team conducted research on samples from 500 anonymous oocyte donors and 915 male recipient partners who were all undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) between 2008 and 2019 in the US.

Of all the air pollutants examined, ambient exposure to organic carbon appeared to have the most consistent detrimental effect.

Organic carbon is a major element of the hazardous fine particulate matter PM2.5, which is emitted from combustion sources such as vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, and wildfires is bad

Ambient exposure to organic carbon was found to consistently cause negative impacts on oocyte survival, fertilisation, and embryo quality, revealed the study, published in the journal Environment International.

Both animal and human epidemiological studies have supported the idea that air pollutants cause defects during gametogenesis leading to a drop in reproductive capacities in exposed populations.

"Based on our study and other studies, air pollution is certainly an exposure of concern for those who are seeking to reproduce and conceive.

It really should be an important focus to mitigate exposures for these populations, among many other populations," Sarah LaPointe, a postdoctoral research student at Rollins.