Durational Exposure to Particulate Matter and Changes in Fertility Intentions: A Study of Adults in China

Abstract

Objective

The effects of prolonged exposure to persistently elevated atmospheric pollutants, commonly termed air pollution waves, on fertility intentions remain inadequately understood. This study aims to investigate the association between particulate matter (PM) exposure and fertility intentions.

Methods

In this nationwide cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 10,747 participants (5496 females and 5251 males). PM waves were defined as periods lasting 3‒6 consecutive days during which the daily average concentrations exceeded China’s Ambient Air Quality Standards Grade II thresholds (PM_2.5 > 75 μg/m³ and PM10 > 150 μg/m³). We employed multivariate logistic regression models to assess the association between exposure to PM waves and fertility intentions.

Results

Significant inverse associations were detected between exposure to PM2.5 wave events (characterized by concentrations exceeding 75 μg/m³ for durations of 4‒6 days, P < 0.05) and PM₁₀ wave events (defined as concentrations exceeding 150 μg/m³ for 6 consecutive days, P< 0.05) and fertility intentions among females. In contrast, neither the PM_2.5 wave nor the PM₁₀ wave events demonstrated statistically significant correlations with fertility intentions in males (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). The potentially susceptible subgroup was identified as females aged 20-30 years.

Conclusions

Our results provide the first evidence that PM2.5 and PM10 waves are associated with a reduction in female fertility intentions, offering critical insights for the development of public health policies and strategies aimed at individual protection.

Keywords

Fine particulate matter wave / Air pollution / Fertility intention

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Huazhong University of Science and Technology 2025

Funding The work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2023YFC2705700), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (No. 2024A1515012355), the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (No. JCYJ20220530140609020), and the Scientific Research Project of Wuhan Municipal Health Commission (No. WX21Q36).

Availability of Supporting Data The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors on request.

Declarations

Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Approval Protocol Code: AYYFYLS- PJ2024-08-87; Date: 7 August 2024). The institutional review board granted a waiver for written informed consent due to the fully anonymous nature of the online questionnaire and the minimal risk posed to participants. Prior to survey participation, all individuals were provided with a comprehensive description of the study objectives, data collection procedures, and measures to ensure confidentiality. Participants retained the unconditional right to withdraw from the survey at any time without penalty.

Human Ethics Study participants voluntarily completed an anonymous online questionnaire, with all collected data being fully de-identified. The institutional review board granted a waiver for written informed consent due to the study’s anonymous nature and minimal risk design. Prior to questionnaire completion, participants were provided with detailed information regarding the study objectives, data handling procedures, and confidentiality protections. Participants retained the right to withdraw from the survey at any point without penalty or consequence.

Consent for Publication Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. All data presented in this study are fully anonymized and contain no personally identifiable information. The Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University confirmed that no separate consent for publication was required, as the anonymized dataset poses no risk of participant identification. The manuscript does not include individual-level details, images, or case reports that would necessitate additional consent.

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The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Huazhong University of Science and Technology