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Impacts of Air Pollution on Reproductive Health

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Air Pollution and Health Effects

Part of the book series: Molecular and Integrative Toxicology ((MOLECUL))

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Abstract

Epidemiologic and experimental evidences converge to indicate that air pollution, at the current levels, play a deleterious role on reproductive health. Higher levels of air pollution are found in developing and underdeveloped countries in regions with high population density and higher fertility rates and although the risks associated with the negative reproductive outcomes tend to be small, the number of people that might be affected is significantly large. In this chapter we review the major epidemiological findings (decreased fertility, adverse gestational outcomes, reproductive system cancer, low vitamin D and immune system alterations), current experimental evidence, and possible molecular mechanisms involved in the impairment of the reproductive health and gestation associated with exposures to common urban air pollution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution (LIM05), Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo 455, Room 1103 1st Floor, São Paulo, São Paulo State, 01246-903, Brazil

    Mariana Matera Veras Ph.D., Natália de Souza Xavier Costa M.S., Laís Fajersztajn M.S. & Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva M.D., Ph.D.

  2. National Institute for Integrated Analysis of Environmental Risk, São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil

    Mariana Matera Veras Ph.D. & Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Mariana Matera Veras Ph.D.
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  2. Natália de Souza Xavier Costa M.S.
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  3. Laís Fajersztajn M.S.
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  4. Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva M.D., Ph.D. .

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  1. Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

    Srikanth S. Nadadur

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    John W. Hollingsworth

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Veras, M.M., de Souza Xavier Costa, N., Fajersztajn, L., Saldiva, P.H.N. (2015). Impacts of Air Pollution on Reproductive Health. In: Nadadur, S., Hollingsworth, J. (eds) Air Pollution and Health Effects. Molecular and Integrative Toxicology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6669-6_2

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