For decades, human male fertility has been on the decline. Obviously, human way of life is at the cause of such de-manliness but what activities specifically are causing it? Published in JAMA Network Open, researchers from Tongji University of Shanghai, linked poor sperm motility to areas of heavy air pollution.

The authors looked at a data records of 33,876 men from 340 cities in China. Subjects were separated into four groups based on the amount air pollution they were exposed to in where they lived. They examined sperm data from fertility clinics in those areas between 2013 and 2019. The scientist looked data such as sperm concentration and motility, indicators of semen quality.

Their results show that while air pollution did not affect sperm count, air pollution did lower sperm motility. More specifically, the smaller the particulate matter, the worse the motility. Those who lived in areas exposed to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micormeters had an average decrease of 3.6% in motility compared to the average men in China. Larger exposure to 10 micrometer particulate matter lead to a 2.44% decrease. They also found that pollution had the largest affect on sperm quality during first 90 day of spermatogenesis (sperm creation), part one of three phases. This leads tot he concern that pollution may affect the genetic quality of sperm.

Obviously, air pollution is only one of many driving factors in the worsening quality of sperm in men worldwide. There are other forms of pollution such as the current plastic crisis or the general shitty diet and lack of exercise many men partake in. However, it is most definitely insulting when consumers, voters and politicians throw aside pollution strict pollution control to sacrifice your manhood for their egos. Pollution is an everyone-problem.

Y Zhao et al. Association of exposure to particulate matter air pollution with semenquality among men in China. JAMA Open Network. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.48684