Vasilia Vastis , Riki Dayan , Michael Neal , Stacy Deniz , Shilpa Amin , Megan Karnis , Karen Kteily , Catherine Friedman , Alison Holloway , Kerstyn Lutz , João Réquia Júnior Weeberb , Matthew Adams , Mehrnoosh Faghih
{"title":"Urban air pollution and in vitro fertilization outcomes: A Canadian retrospective study","authors":"Vasilia Vastis , Riki Dayan , Michael Neal , Stacy Deniz , Shilpa Amin , Megan Karnis , Karen Kteily , Catherine Friedman , Alison Holloway , Kerstyn Lutz , João Réquia Júnior Weeberb , Matthew Adams , Mehrnoosh Faghih","doi":"10.1016/j.reprotox.2026.109161","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is growing data to support an adverse relationship between air pollution and fertility. Many studies have shown that traffic-related air pollution, the most common source of urban air pollution in North America, has a negative effect on both spontaneous and IVF pregnancy outcomes. This single-center retrospective study is the first Canadian study to explore urban air pollution exposures and IVF/ICSI outcomes. It included autologous IVF/ICSI outcomes from both fresh (ET – n = 1756) and frozen embryo transfer (FET – n = 1535) cycles between 2000 and 2022. Air pollution data for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) were obtained from The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE). Data was analyzed using bivariate maps of long-term air pollutant exposure (PM2.5 and NO<sub>2</sub>) and IVF/ICSI clinical outcomes by 5 km<sup>2</sup> urban areas. We found that long-term air pollution within patients’ household area ranged from 4.8 to 12.6 μg/m<sup>3</sup> for PM2.5 and 3.2–28 ppb for NO<sub>2</sub>. Nitrogen dioxide has demonstrated an association to some IVF/ICSI outcomes, which agrees with other international studies. No statistical associations in IVF/ICSI outcomes were found after adjusting for confounding variables. Understanding of the impact of urban air pollution on fertility and IVF/ICSI outcomes warrants further research on interventions to ameliorate negative outcomes and supports policy change(s) to improve air quality in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21137,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive toxicology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 109161"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Reproductive toxicology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623826000043","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/1/7 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
There is growing data to support an adverse relationship between air pollution and fertility. Many studies have shown that traffic-related air pollution, the most common source of urban air pollution in North America, has a negative effect on both spontaneous and IVF pregnancy outcomes. This single-center retrospective study is the first Canadian study to explore urban air pollution exposures and IVF/ICSI outcomes. It included autologous IVF/ICSI outcomes from both fresh (ET – n = 1756) and frozen embryo transfer (FET – n = 1535) cycles between 2000 and 2022. Air pollution data for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were obtained from The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE). Data was analyzed using bivariate maps of long-term air pollutant exposure (PM2.5 and NO2) and IVF/ICSI clinical outcomes by 5 km2 urban areas. We found that long-term air pollution within patients’ household area ranged from 4.8 to 12.6 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 3.2–28 ppb for NO2. Nitrogen dioxide has demonstrated an association to some IVF/ICSI outcomes, which agrees with other international studies. No statistical associations in IVF/ICSI outcomes were found after adjusting for confounding variables. Understanding of the impact of urban air pollution on fertility and IVF/ICSI outcomes warrants further research on interventions to ameliorate negative outcomes and supports policy change(s) to improve air quality in the future.
期刊介绍:
Drawing from a large number of disciplines, Reproductive Toxicology publishes timely, original research on the influence of chemical and physical agents on reproduction. Written by and for obstetricians, pediatricians, embryologists, teratologists, geneticists, toxicologists, andrologists, and others interested in detecting potential reproductive hazards, the journal is a forum for communication among researchers and practitioners. Articles focus on the application of in vitro, animal and clinical research to the practice of clinical medicine.
All aspects of reproduction are within the scope of Reproductive Toxicology, including the formation and maturation of male and female gametes, sexual function, the events surrounding the fusion of gametes and the development of the fertilized ovum, nourishment and transport of the conceptus within the genital tract, implantation, embryogenesis, intrauterine growth, placentation and placental function, parturition, lactation and neonatal survival. Adverse reproductive effects in males will be considered as significant as adverse effects occurring in females. To provide a balanced presentation of approaches, equal emphasis will be given to clinical and animal or in vitro work. Typical end points that will be studied by contributors include infertility, sexual dysfunction, spontaneous abortion, malformations, abnormal histogenesis, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, behavioral abnormalities, and perinatal mortality.