Ambient traffic related air pollution in relation to ovarian reserve and oocyte quality in young, healthy oocyte donors

Abstract

Studies in mice and older, subfertile women have found that air pollution exposure may compromise female reproduction. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of air pollution on ovarian reserve and outcomes of ovarian stimulation among young, healthy females. We included 472 oocyte donors who underwent 781 ovarian stimulation cycles at a fertility clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (2008-2019). Antral follicle count (AFC) was assessed with transvaginal ultrasonography and total and mature oocyte count was assessed following oocyte retrieval. Ovarian sensitivity index (OSI) was calculated as the total number of oocytes divided by total gonadotrophin dose × 1000. Daily ambient exposure to nitric oxide (NO_x), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter ≤ 2.5 (PM_2.5) was estimated using a fused regional + line-source model for near-surface releases at a 250 m resolution based on residential address. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the associations of an interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutant exposure with outcomes adjusted for donor characteristics, census-level poverty, and meteorological factors. The median (IQR) age among oocyte donors was 25.0 (5.0) years, and 31% of the donors were racial/ethnic minorities. The median (IQR) exposure to NO_x, CO, and PM_2.5 in the 3 months prior to stimulation was 37.7 (32.0) ppb, 612 (317) ppb, and 9.8 (2.9) µg/m³, respectively. Ambient air pollution exposure in the 3 months before AFC was not associated with AFC. An IQR increase in PM_2.5 in the 3 months before AFC and during stimulation was associated with -7.5% (95% CI -14.1, -0.4) and -6.4% (95% CI -11.0, -1.6) fewer mature oocytes, and a -1.9 (95% CI -3.2, -0.5) and -1.0 (95% CI -1.8, -0.2) lower OSI, respectively. Our results suggest that lowering the current 24-h PM_2.5 standard in the US to 25 µg/m³ may still not adequately protect against the reprotoxic effects of short-term PM_2.5 exposure.

Keywords: Air pollution; Fertility; Ovarian reserve; Particulate matter.

Fig. 1.

Non-linear association of ambient PM_2.5 exposure during ovarian stimulation with number of mature (MII) oocytes retrieved (Panel A) and ovarian sensitivity index (OSI) (Panel B) (2008–2019). Adjusted models accounted for age, race, BMI, education, year and season of cycle, percent of census tract living below poverty, and average maximum temperature, relative humidity and NO_x during ovarian stimulation. P-value for non-linearity: 0.10 for MII oocytes retrieved and 0.02 for OSI.