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From decades it has been observed that male infertility has boomed over time as the industrialisation is augmented. Explanation of this downfall has been associated to environmental factors and escalation of the AQI in industrialised cities. Currently, it has been hypothesised that the defect in foetal development can also be from the origin of fragmented DNA of sperms in semen sample. To determine the effect of AQI on DNA fragmentation, this study aims to evaluate the differences in sperm DNA fragmentation in places with diverse levels of AQI. A retrospective analysis of 3222 patients was performed of the patients aged between 21-40 years during January 2023 to January 2024 at 120 centres of Indira IVF Hospital Private Limited, India. The patients were divided based on the AQI levels of the places – less polluted (50-100) (n=1384), moderately polluted (101-150) (n=1838), highly polluted (>151) (n=1334). The semen analysis and DNA fragmentation testing at all the centres were done based on the WHO recommendations. The patients were divided based on their DNA fragmentation score into – normal (<25%) and abnormal (>25%). Subsequently, the impact of AQI on sperm chromosome integrity was analysed. Our examinations disclosed that areas with less pollution presented 69.3% normal sperms and 30.7% abnormal sperms. However, as the pollution escalates, the area with moderate pollution showed a significant uprise in abnormal sperms and significant downfall of normal sperms by 8.8% compared with sperms of the population found in less polluted region. In the highly polluted zone, it was discovered that the abnormal sperm has a significant increase and normal sperms has a significant decrease by 11% compared with results found in less polluted area. Our findings underscore a pollution bias determining that as the pollution escalates the abnormal sperms exponentially augments. However, the normal sperms inversely corelates to the enhancement of pollution. Therefore, air pollution can be an indicator for determining the disturbed sperm DNA fragmentation in the population of high polluted cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of drinking water due to fluoride (F−) is a major concern worldwide. Although fluoride is an essential trace element required for humans, it has severe human health implications if levels exceed 1.5 mg. L−1 in groundwater. Several treatment technologies have been adopted to remove fluoride and reduce the exposure risk. The present article highlights the source, geochemistry, spatial distribution, and health implications of high fluoride in groundwater. Also, it discusses the underlying mechanisms and controlling factors of fluoride contamination. The problem of fluoride-contaminated water is more severe in India's arid and semiarid regions than in other Asian countries. Treatment technologies like adsorption, ion exchange, precipitation, electrolysis, electrocoagulation, nanofiltration, coagulation-precipitation, and bioremediation have been summarized along with case studies to look for suitable technology for fluoride exposure reduction. Although present technologies are efficient enough to remove fluoride, they have specific limitations regarding cost, labour intensity, and regeneration requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]