PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Human health effects can arise from unregulated manual disassembly of electronic waste (e-waste) and/or hydraulic fracturing fluid spills. There is limited literature on the effects of e-waste and hydraulic fracturing wastewater exposure on the male reproductive system. Thus, this proof-of-concept study begins to address the question of how wastewater from two potentially hazardous environmental processes could affect sperm quality. Therefore, three groups of eight-week-old adult mice were exposed (5 d/wk for 6 wks) via a mealworm (Tenebrio molitor and Zophabas morio) feeding route to either: (1) e-waste leachate (50% dilution) from the Alaba Market (Lagos, Nigeria); (2) West Virginia hydraulic fracturing flowback (HFF) fluid (50% dilution); or, (3) deionized water (control). At 24-hours (hr), 3 weeks (wk), or 9-wk following the 6-wk exposure period, cohorts of mice were necropsied and adverse effects/persistence on the male reproductive system were examined. Ingestion of e-waste leachate or HFF fluid decreased number and concentration of sperm and increased both chromatin damage and numbers of morphological abnormalities in the sperm when compared to control mice. Levels of serum testosterone were reduced post-exposure (3- and 9-wk) in mice exposed to e-waste leachate and HFF when compared to time-matched controls, indicating the long-term persistence of adverse effects, well after the end of exposure. These data suggest that men living around or working in vicinity of either e-waste or hydraulic fracturing could face harmful effects to their reproductive health. From both a human health and economic standpoint, development of prevention and intervention strategies that are culturally relevant and economically sensitive are critically needed to reduce exposure to e-waste and HFF-associated toxic contaminants.
摘要：
对人类健康的影响可能起因于电子废物(电子废物)的未经管制的手动拆卸和/或水力压裂液溢出。关于电子废物和水力压裂废水暴露对男性生殖系统的影响的文献有限。因此，这项概念验证研究开始解决两个潜在危险环境过程产生的废水如何影响精子质量的问题.因此,通过粉虫（Tenebriomolitor和Zophabasmorio）喂养途径将三组八周大的成年小鼠暴露（5d/wk，6wks），其中之一是：（1）电子垃圾渗滤液（50％稀释）从阿拉巴市场（拉各斯，尼日利亚）；（2）西弗吉尼亚州水力压裂返排（HFF）液（50％稀释）；或，(3)去离子水(对照)。在24小时（hr），3周（wk），或在6周暴露期之后的9周，对小鼠队列进行尸检，并检查对雄性生殖系统的不利影响/持久性。与对照小鼠相比，摄入电子垃圾渗滤液或HFF液减少了精子的数量和浓度，并增加了染色质损伤和精子形态异常的数量。与时间匹配的对照组相比，暴露于电子垃圾渗滤液和HFF的小鼠暴露后（3周和9周）血清睾酮水平降低，表明不利影响的长期持久性，曝光结束后。这些数据表明，居住在电子废物或水力压裂附近或工作的男性可能会对其生殖健康产生有害影响。从人类健康和经济的角度来看，迫切需要制定与文化相关和经济敏感的预防和干预策略，以减少电子废物和与HFF相关的有毒污染物的暴露。
