Double Approach to Study VOC Composition in Biofluids of Young Men Living in the “Land of Fires” in Campania Region

Abstract

Air pollution is involved in many pathologies. The pollutants act through several mechanisms that can affect numerous physiological functions, including reproduction. In this work we used a double approach to analyse the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) component in 4 different biosamples (whole blood, urine, human semen and hairs) of young men (about 18 years old) living in the sadly famous area called “Land of fires” in Campania region (South-Western Italy), known to contain the largest illegal waste dump in Europe, in order to explore hypothesized correlation between VOCs in biofluid and man infertility due to environmental pollution. The double approach is based on two different technologies: (a) SPME-GC/MS (Solid Phase Microextraction—Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry) system and (b) array of gas sensors. The preliminary data seems to be compatible with the EcoFoodFertility Project hypothesis that human semen is a good biological fluid to study volatile component as bioaccumulator of both exogenous and endogenous VOCs.