Exposure to PCB and p,p '-DDE in European and Inuit populations: impact on human sperm chromatin integrity
BACKGROUND: Persistent organochlorine pollutants ( POP), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), are widely found in the environment and considered potential endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC). Their impact on male fertility is still unknown. METHODS: To explore the hypothesis that POP is associated with altered sperm chromatin integrity, a cross-