The ambient air pollution (AAP) is ubiquitarian especially in the western countries and several studies have found correlations with different human pathologies (such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases). In the last decades the scientific community has focused the studies on the possible effects of AAP on human reproduction, in particular on the pregnant women and birth outcomes. The researches have investigated the possible correlations between AAP and the effects of prenatal exposure and birth outcomes using several parameters such as low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and preterm birth delivery. The authors found that the literature data are in conflict and do not reach univocal results. In fact, not all of the researches show effects and correlations between AAP and birth outcomes and the studies are extremely various and do not use similar methods of analysis. Furthermore the mechanisms of action are unclear. The possible difficulties in this matter should be the lack of an univocal guideline in the studies, the absence of the researches analyzing the particular internal composition of particulate matter (PM), the possible overlap of short and long term exposure. In addition, we have verified the lack of studies of associations between the possible birth defects and ultrafine particulates (UFPs) able to move from pulmonary district to

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Abstract. The objective of this study is to present and analyse the spatial distribution of PM 1 (particulate matter with diameter less than 1 µm) and PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 µm) within the greater area of Athens (GAA), Greece, during two extreme Saharan dust episodes in 2006 and 2008. Two portable detectors, based on light scattering method, were used to record the particulate matter concentrations. The samples were collected in the same morning hour of the day which coincided with the peak of vehicles traffic. We analysed the recorded data on normal days and on days with extreme Saharan dust events in order to find out the exceedances of the particulate matter concentrations. Using Kriging method, the spatial patterns of PM 1 and PM 10 concentrations were constructed for GAA. It is already known that particulate matter represent the main hazard in cardiovascular and respiratory syndromes within the most polluted cities of Europe, which confront high traffic problems, amplified by Saharan dust episodes, which are frequent especially in the Southern Europe, during spring time. The results of the performed analysis showed that during these episodes, PM concentrations over exceed the thresholds set by the European Union, exacerbating the human health in Athens.

The objective of this study is to present and analyse the indoor and outdoor temporal variability of the particulate matters of different sizes (namely: PM10, with diameter less than 10 µm; PM7, with diameter less than 7 µm; PM2.5, with diameter less than 2.5 µm and PM1, with diameter less than 1 µm) found in Athens, Greece. Four detectors were used for indoor and outdoor recordings. More specifically, the indoor recordings were performed in seminar rooms, full of students attending lectures, at the University of Athens and the Technological Education Institute of Piraeus. Findings of this research show that on one hand, the indoor particulate matter concentrations remained at lower levels than the thresholds set by the European Council Directives, but on the other hand, the outdoor particulate matter concentrations exceeded the thresholds many times.

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