New research has shown that environmental factors could have an influence on your wellness, particularly with regards to your fertility. The study by a team of medical scientists in India has revealed that those who are exposed to radiation in their workplaces over a long period of time are likely to experience problems with their reproductive wellbeing. The fertility experts from Manipal University looked at the quality of sperm in 83 men who had worked for between 3 and 18 years in radiation-based units at a number of different hospitals.
Tests were carried out on the sperm, and the results of this were then compared to tests that were carried out on 51 men who worked in hospitals, had similar lifestyles to the test subjects but had no regular exposure to radiation. Tests carried out on the semen looked at the shape, vitality, sperm number and also the DNA quality.
In the sperm of the men who were exposed to radiation, the researchers found a large number of abnormal characteristics. These included a decrease in the motility of the sperm, lower vitality and an altered shape. Sperm motility is extremely important as it represents the ability of the sperm to swim quickly and directly towards the egg in the female body, in order for fertilisation to take place.
In addition to this, the researchers found that in the men who were regularly exposed to radiation, the DNA quality of the sperm had been severely compromised. This could have a significant impact on the health of any child that was conceived using this damaged sperm.
Whilst a little damage is a normal occurrence in all fertile men, when this damage reaches the high proportions seen in the study, the sperm can go on to fertilise an egg and transmit the damage to the embryo and then to the baby. This can result in increased incidences of miscarriages and genetic abnormalities.
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