A toxicological and epidemiological study on reproductive functions of male workers exposed to lead.

The reproductive ability of 24 men exposed to lead was observed and the same number of no-exposed men were taken as controls. The influential factors, such as age, smoking and drinking were controlled. The finding shows higher prevalence of congenital epilepsy and heart disease in the filial generation of workers exposed to lead and high rate of teratospermia in the exposed workers. Meanwhile hypospermia, as well as decreased lactate dehydrogenase-x(LDH-x) and succinodehydrogenase (SDH) in sperm were found in exposed group.