Hamerezaee, Masoud
(Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science)
,
Dehghan, Somayeh F.
(Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences)
,
Golbabaei, Farideh
(Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science)
,
Fathi, Asad
(Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science)
,
Barzegar, Loghman
(Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science)
,
Heidarnejad, Naseh
(Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science)
Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) ...
Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS ($35.76^{\circ}C$ and 491.56 $w/m^2{\frac{w}{m^2}}$, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly "negative" correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.
Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS ($35.76^{\circ}C$ and 491.56 $w/m^2{\frac{w}{m^2}}$, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly "negative" correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.
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제안 방법
To examine the number of sperm in each ejaculate, a WHO’s approved method (Neobar slide) was used. Determination of sperm morphology included the following steps: preparing a smear of semen on a slide (with feathering method); air drying, fixing, and staining the slide; mounting the slide with a coverslip if it is to be kept for a long period; and then examining the slide with bright-field optics.
Participants for this study were selected among fertile workers (identified as those having at least one child) employed in a steel industry in Iran after obtaining approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. For this purpose, a detailed medical history of all possible participants was obtained and then those having at least one child, not smoking [14], not placing a laptop on their legs [15], with no long-term sitting [16], with lack of varicocele [17], not using bodybuilding supplements [18], with no history of orchitis and chemotherapy/radiotherapy [19], and not using antioxidant medications [20], such as selenium, vitamins B, C, and E, were included in the study. Finally, after reviewing the medical history of 220 workers exposed to heat and 41 employees of the administrative division, 30 workers who had been exposed to heat stress for approximately 4 hours daily and fulfilling the aforementioned criteria were enrolled into the exposed group; among the employees administrative division, 14 were enrolled into the unexposed group.
After analysis, samples were immediately transferred to the laboratory and analyzed according to the WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen [21]. Seminal parameters, including the volume of semen, motility of sperm, pH of semen, style of motility, number of sperm with normal shape, and number of live sperm were measured. Semen volume was calculated using the weighting method.
In most studies, WBGT [5,37,38] and PHS [39] have been reported as the most effective indices for assessing occupational heat stress. The novelty of this study was to investigate whether there is any relationship between seminal parameters and heat stress indices, which has not been previously studied. Indeed, our results uncovered a significant relationship between these two indices and all seminal parameters except pH, as well as between these indices and physiological parameters.
The scrotal and oral temperature of all participants were measured using digital thermometers (Beurer GmbH FT 15/1, Ulm, Germany and AccuMed MT 101, Houston, Texas, USA, respectively). Participants were asked to provide semen samples for analysis and because time since last sexual activity is one of the factors associated with changes in semen quality, they were requested to refrain from sexual activity for 3 days before sampling.
대상 데이터
The studied industry has 16,000 staff members, employed directly and indirectly in various jobs and positions. A total of 261 employees were employed in pelletizing, casting, hot rolling, and iron-making units. Participants for this study were selected among fertile workers (identified as those having at least one child) employed in a steel industry in Iran after obtaining approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
A total of 261 employees were employed in pelletizing, casting, hot rolling, and iron-making units. Participants for this study were selected among fertile workers (identified as those having at least one child) employed in a steel industry in Iran after obtaining approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. For this purpose, a detailed medical history of all possible participants was obtained and then those having at least one child, not smoking [14], not placing a laptop on their legs [15], with no long-term sitting [16], with lack of varicocele [17], not using bodybuilding supplements [18], with no history of orchitis and chemotherapy/radiotherapy [19], and not using antioxidant medications [20], such as selenium, vitamins B, C, and E, were included in the study.
The studied industry has 16,000 staff members, employed directly and indirectly in various jobs and positions. A total of 261 employees were employed in pelletizing, casting, hot rolling, and iron-making units.
데이터처리
The Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test was performed to check the degree of normality in the data. Pearson correlation coefficient test and independent t test were used for data analysis. A p level = 0.
이론/모형
Seminal parameters, including the volume of semen, motility of sperm, pH of semen, style of motility, number of sperm with normal shape, and number of live sperm were measured. Semen volume was calculated using the weighting method. To obtain the pH of semen, a special pH meter (Hanna Instruments HI98103, Michigan, USA) was used.
, Chicago, IL, USA). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test was performed to check the degree of normality in the data. Pearson correlation coefficient test and independent t test were used for data analysis.
성능/효과
All semen parameters (except for pH) showed a negative correlation with WBGT (p < 0.04) and a stronger relationship was noted between WBGT and seminal and physiological parameters in comparison with PHS.
In conclusion, semen parameters of fertile workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than the controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.
Workers engaged in this industry are more likely to be exposed to excessive heat stress and its adverse effects [24]. In this study, it was found that participants in the exposed group had higher heat stress values than the threshold limit values recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists [25]. As in other similar studies, the heat stress value among employees in the steel industry was higher than the standard level [26,27], and they are more susceptible to adverse effects of heat exposure [28].
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