Researchers from the State University of New York, the University of California and the New York Department of Health are trying to understand the effects of long term trace exposure to metal contaminants on human reproductive health. In this hot paper, they have sought to identify which non-essential trace elements found, for example, in food and drinking water might be used as biomarkers to assess associations between exposure and fertility treatment endpoints.
Michael S. Bloom and colleagues studied a group of men and women currently undergoing IVF treatments and have identified 11 metals, including arsenic, copper and cadmium, that are appropriate background exposure biomarkers. For full details of the study download the article – it’s free to access for the next four weeks:
Biomonitoring for exposure to multiple trace elements via analysis of urine from participants in the Study of Metals and Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SMART)
Keewan Kim, Amy J. Steuerwald, Patrick J. Parsons, Victor Y. Fujimoto, Richard W. Browne and Michael S. Bloom
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 2413-2419
DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10341E
