The effects of carbon disulfide on male sexual function and semen quality

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was initiated to clarify whether the current level of exposure to carbon disulphide (CS2) is low enough to prevent occurrence of subclinical health impairments. This paper describes the effects of exposure to CS2 on male sexual function and semen quality in a baseline observation. The effects of CS2 on male sexual function were evaluated, including number of sexual encounters and length of sexual encounters related to solvents in 80 male workers exposed to CS2 and 49 reference workers from the filature and cotton pulp departments of a fabric factory in China. And the semen samples were obtained from 43 of the exposed and 35 of the control. Adjustment was made for potential confounding factors such as age or alcohol drinking. Exposure to CS2 was dichotomized by job type. The rate of sexual dysfunction was higher, number of sexual encounters was lower, and length of sexual encounters was shorter compared with the control (p < 0.001). It was indicated that exposed workers had fewer semen quantity, longer liquefaction time, lower acrosomal membrane integrity rate, vitality and density, and more deformity of semen than the control (p < 0.01). The age and type of work played the most important roles in sexual dysfunction by the multinomial logistic regression analysis (p < 0.01).The duration of exposure had the effect on sexual function and semen quality but no statistical significance (p > 0.05). Clinical effects on the male sexual function and semen quality were found in the workers exposed to CS2.