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Air pollution

Air Pollution Linked to Increased Female Infertility Risk

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research findings published in the BMC Public Health journal have uncovered a strong correlation between long-term exposure to air pollutants and increased infertility risk in women of reproductive age. The study, conducted in Taiwan between 2003 and 2013, analyzed the impact of various air pollutants on infertility in females aged 15 to 60. The results demonstrate a clear dose-response relationship between exposure to pollutants and infertility rates, with significant associations found for pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study, conducted in Taiwan, examined the impact of air pollution on infertility in females aged 15 to 60, and found a significant association between long-term exposure to air pollutants and increased infertility risk.
  • The research analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of females aged 15 to 60, covering a period of 10 years from 2003 to 2013.
  • The study found that exposure to various air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides, was associated with increased infertility rates in women of reproductive age.
  • The dose-response relationship between exposure to pollutants and infertility rates was deemed significant, with each standard deviation increase in exposure associated with a higher incidence of infertility.
  • Specifically, the study found that long-term exposure to the following pollutants was associated with increased infertility:

+ Sulfur dioxide: 13% increase in infertility risk

+ Carbon monoxide: 116% increase in infertility risk

+ Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5): 35%, 77%, and 80% increase in infertility risk, respectively

+ Nitrogen oxides (NOX, NO, and NO2): 66%, 76%, and 116% increase in infertility risk, respectively

  • Conversely, ozone exposure was associated with a 52% reduction in infertility risk.

Statistics:

  • 186 million people globally are affected by infertility, with approximately 1 in 7 couples in developed nations experiencing it.
  • The study found that exposure to air pollutants increased infertility risk by:

+ 13% for sulfur dioxide

+ 116% for carbon monoxide

+ 35% for particulate matter (PM10)

+ 77% for particulate matter (PM2.5)

+ 80% for particulate matter (PM2.5)

+ 66% for nitrogen oxides (NOX)

+ 76% for nitrogen oxides (NO)

+ 116% for nitrogen oxides (NO2)

  • 52% reduction in infertility risk associated with ozone exposure

Sources:

  • Long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and female infertility risk: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan. BMC Public Health, 2025,25(1):1-10. (BMC Public Health - http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com)
  • Yu-Chieh Lo, Department of Orthopedics, Taichung Veterans General University
  • Yeu-Chai Jang, Shu-Han Chuang, Shun-Jen Cheng, Yi-Jie Kuo, Cheng-Hsien Chang, Yu-Pin Chen

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