A cross-sectional study was initiated to clarify whether the current level of exposure to carbon disulphide (CS2) is low enough to prevent occurrence of subclinical health impairments. This paper describes the effects of exposure to CS2 on male sexual function and semen quality in a baseline observation. The effects of CS2 on male sexual function were evaluated, including number of sexual encounters and length of sexual encounters related to solvents in 80 male workers exposed to CS2 and 49 reference workers from the filature and cotton pulp departments of a fabric factory in China. And the semen samples were obtained from 43 of the exposed and 35 of the control. Adjustment was made for potential confounding factors such as age or alcohol drinking. Exposure to CS2 was dichotomized by job t...