Importance of Air Filtration System Replacement to Improve the Embryo Quality in Assisted Reproduction Laboratory

Infertility is a common disease, which drives several couples to seek treatment with assisted reproduction techniques. In vitro fertilization plays a significant role in combatting infertility. However, many factors contribute to the efficiency of assisted reproductive techniques, such as the laboratory environment and air quality. Poor air quality in the IVF laboratory is a known risk factor in the culture of gametes and human embryos. Improving infrastructural conditions of the in vitro fertilization laboratory, such as the air quality, has profound positive effects on embryo culture. Poor environmental conditions reduce the rate of embryo formation and, therefore, of pregnancy. This review article presents important publications regarding the impact of air quality in human reproduction laboratories on embryo quality, pregnancy success, and live births. The studies demonstrate that replacing the air filtration system improves significantly the environmental air quality, and, consequently, improves laboratory parameters, such as the fertilization rate, the number of blastocysts, the embryo implantation rate, and the number of live births. On the other hand, improving air quality decreases the number of abortions. Therefore, environmental parameters that improve embryo quality and increase healthy childbirth rates must be the main targets for assisted reproduction laboratory quality control. More controlled studies on air quality should be performed with the aim of investigating how particulate filtration interferes with IVF results and provides an effective balance of costs and benefits of replacing the air filtration system in the context of human-assisted reproduction.