Nitrate in Maternal Drinking Water during Pregnancy and Measures of Male Fecundity in Adult Sons

Pernille Jul Clemmensen, Nis Brix, Jörg Schullehner, Anne Gaml-Sørensen, Gunnar Toft, Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg, Ninna Hinchely Ebdrup, Karin Sørig Hougaard, Birgitte Hansen, Torben Sigsgaard, Henrik Albert Kolstad, Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde, Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen

Abstract

Animal studies indicate deleterious effects of nitrate exposure on fecundity, but effects in humans are unknown, both for the prenatal and postnatal periods. We aimed to investigate if exposure to nitrate in maternal drinking water during the sensitive period of fetal life is associated with measures of fecundity in the adult sons. In a sub-analysis, the potential effects of nitrate exposure in adulthood were investigated. This cohort included 985 young adult men enrolled in The Fetal Programming of Semen Quality Cohort (FEPOS). Semen characteristics, testes volume and reproductive hormones were analyzed in relation to nitrate concentration in maternal drinking water, using a negative binomial regression model. The nitrate concentration in drinking water was obtained from monitoring data from Danish waterworks that were linked with the mothers' residential address during pregnancy. The median nitrate concentration in maternal drinking water was 2 mg/L. At these low exposure levels, which are far below the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline value of 50 mg/L, we did not find indications of harmful effects of nitrate on the investigated measures of male fecundity.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer14428
TidsskriftInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Vol/bind19
Udgave nummer21
Sider (fra-til)14428
ISSN1661-7827
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 3 nov. 2022

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