Reproductive Outcome in the Wives of Traffic Policemen Exposed to Automobile Exhaust

Adverse health effects and reproductive hazards at the workplace are an issue of increasing health concern and more than 1000 chemicals at workplace have been demonstrated to have adverse effects in animals. However such studies are limited in humans. Since data on reproductive epidemiology in traffic policemen exposed to automobile exhaust is limited, a study on the reproductive endpoints of traffic policemen exposed to vehicular exhaust was undertaken. Information on age, sex, medical history, occupational health problems, reproductive outcome, possible exposure to mutagens, etc was collected and clinical investigations were undertaken. A significant increase in neonatal deaths and abortions in the wives of traffic police and a decrease in live births was observed. The findings suggest that exposure to vehicular exhaust induce adverse reproductive outcome in the traffic police.