Radiation exposure affects sperm quality

Long-term exposure to radiation at the workplace may play 

havoc with your sperm quality, says a new research.

.

A team of fertility experts, analysed sperm quality of 83 men 

working for three to 18 years in diagnostic or radiation units 

at various hospitals.

The results were compared with 51 men, also working in 

hospitals with a similar lifestyle but not exposed to radiation.

The men's semen quality was tested for sperm number, 

vitality, shape and its DNA quality. The amount of radiation 

absorbed by health workers was also correlated with sperm 

quality.

The researchers found more abnormal characteristics in the 

sperm of men exposed to the radiation, such as decrease in 

sperm motility, altered shape and vitality.

Sperm motility is the ability of sperm to swim properly 

towards an egg, a factor in successful fertilisation and 

pregnancy.

More importantly, researchers found that sperm DNA quality 

was severely compromised in workers exposed to high 

radiation dose. Several abnormalities correlated with the 

number of years of radiation exposure.

"If the sperm DNA is not maintained in a right manner, it 

could impact the next generation's health,".

"Human testicles produce millions of sperm cells daily, out of  

which only one sperm fuses with egg and makes the embryo. 

The genetic material (DNA) is tightly packed in the sperm 

cell, susceptible to damage," said a researcher.

"A little damage is normal, as is seen in the sperm of fertile 

men. But if the damage reaches high levels it can lead to 

problems. The mature sperm has no capacity to repair the 

damage and if such sperm cell fertilizes the egg, the damage 

can be transmitted to the resulting embryo and baby,"he said.

"Animal studies have shown serious consequences in the 

offspring when DNA-damaged sperm fertilizes the egg," he 

added

.

"Though we did not find increased incidence of infertility and 

miscarriages in these workers, the genetic and epigenetic 

abnormalities observed in the sperm are serious concerns," he said.

Epigenetic abnormalities are abnormalities induced by the 

effect of environment on the expression (functioning) of 

genes, which in this study refers to the prolonged exposure 

to radiation.

He pointed out that the sperm DNA could be damaged by 

factors such as smoking, environmental toxic materials, 

chemicals, lifestyle and lately by radiation, as their research 

revealed.

"This is an important observation and there is a need to 

review our exposure protocols and make sure that the health 

of professionals and their children are not compromised."

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