Effects of Chronic Boron Exposure on Semen Profile

Abstract

The possible changes in semen quality were studied in men living in a boron mining area. The subjects in the boron group had exposure to boron at an average level of 6.5 mg/day, as determined by urinary analysis. The results obtained by the boron group were compared to those obtained for the control group whose subjects were living in the same geographical area but away from the boron region; average exposure level was 1.4 mg/day for this group. The semen samples were analyzed according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Boron levels were established in the water samples obtained from various locations in the study region. In the boron mining fields where the subjects in the boron group live, water samples contained boron in the range of 1.4-6.5 mg/L, while the values were < 0.01 mg/L for the water samples obtained from the region where the subjects of the control group reside. No negative effects were found in the sperm samples obtained from the subjects of the boron group.