Front Public Health. 2026 Feb 25;14:1777051. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1777051. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
IMPORTANCE: Global reports suggest declining sperm quality, but data from Asian populations under standardized conditions are limited. Investigating trends in China is critical for understanding modifiable factors affecting male fertility.
OBJECTIVE: To assess decade-long trends in semen quality among healthy Chinese men and evaluate associations with environmental factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort analysis of 5,886 semen samples from healthy sperm donors (aged 20-45 years) recruited between 2011 and 2018 at the Beijing Human Sperm Bank. All procedures adhered strictly to WHO 5th Edition laboratory standards. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual trends in semen volume, sperm concentration (SC), total sperm count (TSC), progressive motility (PR), total motility (PR + NP), and percentage of progressive motility (PPR). Associations between semen parameters and environmental pollutants (SO₂, NO₂, PM10, PM2.5, waterborne PI/AN) were evaluated using Spearman correlation.
RESULTS: From 2011 to 2018, significant improvements occurred across key parameters: SC increased by 12.3% (78-96.5 × 106/mL; p < 0.05 in 2013, 2018); TSC increased by 18.7% (200-283.5 × 106/ejaculate; p < 0.05 from 2014 to 2017); PR and PPR also significantly improved (p < 0.05 in multiple years). Negative correlations were observed between pollutants and semen quality: SO₂, NO₂, and PM10 inversely correlated with TSC (ρ = -0.719 to -0.929; p ≤ 0.045) and PPR (ρ = -0.826 to -0.922; p ≤ 0.011). Water pollutants (PI, AN) similarly correlated with reduced semen volume, TSC, and motility (ρ = -0.735 to -0.878; p ≤ 0.038).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Contrary to global declines, semen quality significantly improved among healthy Beijing donors from 2011 to 2018. This improvement coincided with aggressive environmental policies (e.g., China’s 2013-2017 Air Pollution Action Plan), suggesting pollution-related sperm damage may be reversible with targeted interventions.
PMID:41822938 | PMC:PMC12975964 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1777051
