Association of PM2.5 mass and its components with ovarian reserve in a northern peninsular province, China: The critical exposure period and components

Lihong Pang; Mingdong Jiang; Xinlei Sui; Yunde Dou; Wenhao Yu; Rachel Huxley; Paulo Saldiva; Jingmei Hu; Tamara Schikowski; Thomas Krafft; Panjun Gao; Yueran Zhao; Han Zhao; Qi Zhao; Zi-Jiang Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132735

Association of PM_2.5 mass and its components with ovarian reserve in a northern peninsular province, China: The critical exposure period and components

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Jan 15:462:132735. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132735. Epub 2023 Oct 6.

Authors

Lihong Pang¹, Mingdong Jiang², Xinlei Sui¹, Yunde Dou¹, Wenhao Yu³, Rachel Huxley⁴, Paulo Saldiva⁵, Jingmei Hu¹, Tamara Schikowski⁶, Thomas Krafft⁷, Panjun Gao⁷, Yueran Zhao⁸, Han Zhao⁹, Qi Zhao¹⁰, Zi-Jiang Chen¹¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
² Dezhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dezhou, Shandong 253000, China.
³ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
⁴ Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01000, Brazil.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology, IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany.
⁷ Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute CAPHRI, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6211, the Netherlands.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China. Electronic address: yrzhao@sdu.edu.cn.
⁹ State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China. Electronic address: hanzh80@sdu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne 3000, Australia. Electronic address: qi.zhao@sdu.edu.cn.
¹¹ State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, China; Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No.2021RU001), Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.

PMID: 37832436
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132735

Abstract

Background: A possible role of PM_2.5 components on ovarian reserve has not been adequately unexplored.

Objective: To evaluate the association between PM_2.5 components and women' ovarian reserve over critical exposure periods in northern China, where the level of air pollution is among the nation's highest.

Methods: We included 15,102 women with serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) measurements from the Center for Reproductive Medicine of Shandong University during 2015-2019. Concentrations of PM_2.5 and its five major components (0.1° × 0.1°), including sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic matter, and black carbon, were assigned to each residential address. Multivariable linear mixed effect models combined with constituent-residual models were performed to estimate the effect sizes of essential components over six short- to long-term exposure periods.

Results: The strength of association was stronger during the process from primary to small antral follicle compared with other longer windows. For every interquartile range increase in PM_2.5 mass was associated with - 8.7% (95%CI: -12.3%, -4.9%) change in AMH and the effect size was greatest for sulfate. Women with the lower level of attained education and those living inland were more susceptible compared with other population subgroups.

Conclusion: Exposure to specific components of air pollution during critical exposure windows is associated with a decline in ovarian reserve. These data add to the growing body of evidence that environmental factors have adverse effects on reproductive health, particularly for vulnerable population subgroups.

Keywords: Anti-Müllerian hormone; Exposure period; Ovarian reserve; PM(2.5) components.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
China
Environmental Exposure
Female
Humans
Ovarian Reserve*
Particulate Matter / toxicity
Sulfates

Substances

Particulate Matter
Sulfates
Air Pollutants