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Background and objective: Nowadays, air pollution is a very serious problem that affects everyone especially old people, pregnant women and their fetuses, infants and all high-risk patients. This study was done to survey the effects of carbon monoxide of air pollution on fetus and changes in umbilical cord pathology. Methods: In this historical cohort study, the effect of carbon monoxide of air pollution on fetus and umbilical cord was studied in Mahdieh hospital in Tehran (Case group) and Fayazbakhsh hospital in Karaj (Control group) in 2001-02. We compared case group born to mothers who were exposed to outdoor air pollution during pregnancy (N=32), and the control group born to the mothers who were not routinely exposed to air pollution (N=32). Two groups were similar in maternal age, gestational age, gravida and family income. Carbon monoxide, carboxyhemoglonin, birth weight and umbilical disorders were compared in two groups and the relationship between carbon monoxide with these variables was evaluated. Findings: Carbon monoxide levels were 16.69 ppm in case group and 2.68 ppm in control group (P

CO levels in exhaled breath were measured in 29 residents of flats, equipped with a flueless geiser (an instantaneous gas-fired water heater). The flats were selected because they had a geiser with a CO concentration of more than 250 parts per million in its flue gases. Small, but in some cases statistically significant increases in CO levels in exhaled breath were found in both smokers and non smokers, and after periods of cooking and dishwashing when the geisers had been used. Calculated COHb levels remained well below 2.5% for non smokers, but were generally higher for smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]