Pollution decreases chance of having male children

Air pollution leads to a variety of problems involving reproductive effects including low birth weight, miscarriage, preterm birth, and decreased sperm quality, according to a BMJ report.  The journal BMJ Open looked at the effect of air pollution on the ratio of female to male births in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Researchers divided Sao Paulo districts into different categories based on their ambient particulate matter (PM10) concentrations over time.  PM10 levels were used as a marker of air pollution levels. The total number of births between 2000 and 2007 was collected with the ratio of male to female births calculated during