Prolonged time to pregnancy in female workers exposed to ethylene glycol ethers in semiconductor manufacturing.

摘要: Background. Previous research on reproductive effects of working in the semiconductor industry is limited and has produced conflicting results. Methods. This retrospective cohort study was designed to investigate risk factors for female fertility a wafer-manufacturing company Taiwan 1997. Waiting time pregnancy potential confounders were collected by face-to-face interview. Exposure assessed directors senior engineers manufacturing, administrative, safety health departments according records, personnel job histories from questionnaires, using tiered exposure-assessment approach. Of total 842 workers, 720 (85.5%) participated. There 292 pregnancies 173 workers eligible analysis. Relative fecundability (fecundability ratio, or FR) calculated Cox’s proportional hazard models evaluate effect occupational exposure ethylene glycol ethers fertility. Results. photolithography area longer than that those nonfabrication (FR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.45–1.32), who potentially exposed showed compared with not 0.59; 0.37–0.94). Conclusion. provides further evidence may cause subfertility.