Concentrations of lead, cadmium and zinc in the tissues of reproductive organs of men.

The concentrations of lead in blood and the concentrations of lead, cadmium and zinc in tissues were determined in various reproductive organs, liver and kidney removed at necropsy from 41 men who had died suddenly. None of the reproductive organs specifically accumulated lead and no significant correlation could be demonstrated between blood and organ concentrations or between concentrations and age, occupation or urban/rural background of the subject. Unlike lead, the tissue concentrations of cadmium increased with increasing age in all of the reproductive organs examined. Of these, the epididymides and seminal vesicles contained the highest concentrations. Whereas prostatic zinc also exhibited a significant age-dependent increase, the concentrations in the testes declined with age. The age-dependent increase in testicular cadmium did not become apparent until after the fourth decade, when any potentially deleterious impact on male fertility has less relevance. It is concluded that measurable amounts of lead and cadmium are present in all of the human reproductive organs but their organ and age distribution do not offer strong support for their involvement in the aetiology of male infertility or in the genesis of glandular neoplasms.