Research progress on impacts of air pollutants, gut microbiota, and seminal microbiota on semen quality

Wenchao XIA; Jiahua SUN; Yuya JIN; Ruixin LUO; Ruyan YAN; Yuming GUI; Yongbin WANG; Fengquan ZHANG; Wei WU; Weidong WU; Huijun LI

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Research progress on impacts of air pollutants, gut microbiota, and seminal microbiota on semen quality

VernacularTitle:空气污染物、肠道菌群与精液菌群对精液质量影响的研究进展
Author: Wenchao XIA ¹ ; Jiahua SUN ¹ ; Yuya JIN ¹ ; Ruixin LUO ¹ ; Ruyan YAN ¹ ; Yuming GUI ¹ ; Yongbin WANG ¹ ; Fengquan ZHANG ¹ ; Wei WU ² ; Weidong WU ¹ ; Huijun LI ¹
Author Information

1. School of Public Health, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China.
2. .
Publication Type:Review
Keywords: air pollutant; semen quality; gut microbiota; semen microbiota; male reproductive health
From: Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):1003-1008
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: In recent years, China has been facing the dual challenges of declining fertility rates and births, with male reproductive health issues, especially the decline in semen quality, identified as a pivotal contributor to this phenomenon. Meanwhile, accumulating evidence indicates that air pollutants, an increasingly severe environmental problem, can damage semen quality not only directly through their biological toxicity but also indirectly by disrupting the composition of microbial communities in the gut and semen, thereby dysregulating immune function, endocrine homeostasis, and oxidative stress responses. The gut microbiota and semen microbiota, as important components of the human microecosystem, play crucial roles in maintaining reproductive health. This article comprehensively reviewed the research progress on the potential effects of air pollutants (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants), gut microbiota, and semen microbiota on semen quality. Specifically, it elucidated the mechanisms of interaction between these factors and explored how they affect male fertility.