Effects of styrene, benzene, methylbenzene and dimethylbenzene at low concentrations on the semen quality of exposed workers in an ethylene factory of a petrification enterprise
LIN Zong-wei*, HE Xu-xia, YU Yan-jie, ZHOU Jin-sen, WU Gen-rong, ZENG Fan, HUANG Yu, LIU Ci-min, YU Ri-an
*Huangpu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510700,China
Abstract:ObjectiveTo learn the effects of long-term exposure of styrene, benzene, methylbenzene and dimethylbenzene at low concentrations on the semen quality of the exposed male workers in an ethylene factory of a petrification enterprise.MethodsThe workers that were directly exposed to styrene, benzene, methylbenzene, and dimethylbenzene in the ethylene factory of the petrochemical enterprise were selected as exposed group, while the workers from a harbor enterprise who were not exposed to contaminants of benzene series were selected as control group. The concentrations of styrene, benzene, methylbenzene and dimethylbenzene in the working environment and the workers’ sera were detected, and their effects on the semen quality, DNA damage and oxidative stress of the male workers were assessed.ResultsStyrene, benzene, methylbenzene and dimethylbenzene were found at low concentrations (0.68~3.99mg/m3)in the ethylene factory of the petrification enterprise, and were detected in some of the workers in the exposed group and not in the control group. The proportion of the workers with abnormal semen liquefaction time (>30min) and the seminal plasma 8-OHdG level were higher in the exposed group than in the control group (P<0.05). The sperm survival rate, motility and sperm DNA head/tail percentage in the exposed group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Linear correlations were found between styrene, benzene, methylbenzene, dimethylbenzene and semen liquefaction time, sperm motility and seminal plasma 8-OHdG level, with correlation coefficients of 0.83~0.89(P<0.05).ConclusionsLong-term exposure of styrene, benzene, methylbenzene and dimethylbenzene at low concentrations may impair the semen quality of the male workers.
林宗伟,何旭霞,于彦杰,周金森,吴根容,曾繁,黄昱,刘赐敏,余日安. 某石化企业乙烯厂中低浓度苯乙烯和三苯暴露对工人精液质量的影响[J]. 实用预防医学, 2015, 22(4): 413-415.
LIN Zong-wei, HE Xu-xia, YU Yan-jie, ZHOU Jin-sen, WU Gen-rong, ZENG Fan, HUANG Yu, LIU Ci-min, YU Ri-an. Effects of styrene, benzene, methylbenzene and dimethylbenzene at low concentrations on the semen quality of exposed workers in an ethylene factory of a petrification enterprise. , 2015, 22(4): 413-415.