Lack of correlation between cadmium in seminal plasma and fertility status of nonexposed individuals and two cadmium-exposed patients.

Cadmium concentrations were determined in semen samples of 12 men with proven fertility (group I) and 44 normozoospermic patients (group II) as well as 118 unselected patients of an infertility clinic (group III) and 2 industrial workers with occupational exposure to cadmium. Mean cadmium concentrations in seminal plasma for groups I, II, and III did not show significant differences: 0.38 +/- 0.64; 0.43 +/- 0.69; 0.44 +/- 0.73 (mean +/- SD, micrograms/L), but the two cadmium-exposed patients revealed exceptionally high cadmium levels: 3.46 micrograms/L and 2.99 micrograms/L, respectively. There was no significant correlation between seminal cadmium concentrations and conventional semen parameters or between cadmium concentration and the fertility status of the patients. However, mean cadmium concentrations in seminal plasma of normozoospermic patients were higher in the group of smokers (0.55 +/- 0.81 micrograms/L), compared with the group of nonsmokers (0.42 +/- 0.67 micrograms/L), and there was a weak correlation between cadmium concentration and number of cigarettes consumed per day.