Exploring cadmium exposure as a contributor to male infertility: insights from the relationship between environmental pollutants and the male reproductive system
In brief
Cadmium exposure in some regions surpasses dose linked to male infertility
A review of 40 animal studies identified a human-equivalent cadmium dose of 0.002 mg per kg per day as the lowest level causing reproductive toxicity in rats, and environmental measurements in several locales approach or exceed this amount. The authors suggest such exposure could impair semen quality and worsen testicular damage via kidney dysfunction, but human data remain limited.
- Journal
- Frontiers in endocrinology (Q1)
- Published
- 22 July 2026
- Study design
- Systematic review of cohort studies
- Evidence level
- Level 2, Moderate (CEBM 2a)
- Authors
- Chenming Zhang, Jing Hu, Sicheng Ma, Yifei Wang, Heng Liu, Yinuo Zhang, et al.
- PMID
- 42558478
- DOI
- 10.3389/fendo.2026.1819705
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Reproductive Medicine (top studies of the week, 9 August 2026).
Abstract
This paper is a narrative review focusing on the association between environmental cadmium exposure and male reproductive dysfunction. The relationship between environmental pollutants encountered in daily life and the male reproductive system is attracting increasing attention. Humans are exposed to cadmium through inhalation, dietary intake (food) and other routes, leading to adverse health effects. This study systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2024, and included 40 eligible in vivo studies based on standardized selection criteria. This study reviewed and analyzed relevant animal experiments conducted in recent years. Based on the lowest observable adverse effect level (LOAEL, 10 μg/kg/d) for reproductive toxicity in rats from a chronic 90-day study (Ait Benbella et al., 2025), the minimum critical human equivalent dose (HED) of cadmium-induced male reproductive damage was calculated, All 40 studies in Table 1 were selected according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria (see Section 2). The Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (LOAEL) was converted to HED using the following formula: H E D ( m g / k g ) = A n i m a l L O A E L ( m g / k g ) × k m o f a n i m a l k m o f h u m a n (The LOAEL was derived from rat reproductive toxicity data (10 μg/kg/d) (Ait Benbella et al., 2025); km factors of 6 (rat) and 37 (human, 60kg) were applied. The calculated HED was 0.002 mg/kg/d.) Comparisons reveal that cadmium exposure levels in some regions approach or even exceed this threshold. The results suggest that cadmium may cause damage to the male reproductive system, potentially adversely affecting semen quality. Cadmium also induces renal dysfunction that indirectly exacerbates testicular injury via the renal-testis axis, further disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and amplifying reproductive toxicity. These findings highlight the integrated renal-reproductive toxicity of environmental cadmium exposure.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.