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5429116 
Journal Article 
The role of heavy metals in environmental toxicity and pregnancy outcomes 
Emmanouil-Nikoloussi, EN 
2007 
1 
Reproductive Toxicology
ISSN: 0890-6238
EISSN: 1873-1708 
1 
English 
Heavy metal toxicity can result in damaged or reduced mental and central nervous function, lower energy levels, and damage to blood composition, lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs. Heavy metal toxicity, birth defects and pregnancy outcomes due to environmental exposure can include metal ion involvement in natural systems, toxic metal ions in biological systems, neurotoxic metal ions causing human diseases, metal ionic-DNA interactions influencing transcriptional regulation of oncogenes, metal ionic assembly of lattices through physiological and biomimetic substrate binding for (bio)catalytic purposes. In all of the aforementioned cases, multidisciplinary approaches are employed to build fundamental knowledge for the subsequent pursuit of the development of technologies, enabling metal ionic detection, utilization, regulatory control of environmental pollution, birth defects and disease prognosis and potential prevention and therapies. Studying the role that environmental toxicity and environmental factors play in causing birth defects is extremely challenging and current understanding is evolving. Several studies show that preterm exposure to heavy metals as environmental pollutants can markedly increase the teratogenicity of different types of these metals. Repeated exposure to heavy metals during embryogenesis and organogenesis via open halls at work or via the food chain often occurs resulting in severe incidence of embryonic/fetal death due to intrauterine exposure; exposure which in many cases is masking the teratogenic potential. The aim of this study is to reviewevidence that preterm exposures to environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, can markedly increase the teratogenicity and influence reproductive toxicity in experimental animals and human populations exposed to heavy metals during pregnancy.