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Air Pollution and the Skin Health

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Dermatology in Public Health Environments

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the importance of air pollution in human health, outlining its relationship with cutaneous tegument and in particular with early aging, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, acne, melasma, and skin cancer. Aspects of epidemiology and physiopathology of such associations are discussed. Preventive medical interventions are proposed to improve the population’s quality of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Adriano Heemann Pereira Neto MD, MS & Luiza Metzdorf MD

  2. Dermatology Service of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Leandro Linhares Leite MD

  3. Dermatology Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Renan Rangel Bonamigo MD, MSc, PhD

  4. Sanitary Dermatology Service of the Department of Health of Rio Grande do Sul State (ADS-SES), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Renan Rangel Bonamigo MD, MSc, PhD

  5. Graduate Pathology Program of Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Renan Rangel Bonamigo MD, MSc, PhD

Authors
  1. Adriano Heemann Pereira Neto MD, MS
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  2. Luiza Metzdorf MD
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  3. Leandro Linhares Leite MD
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  4. Renan Rangel Bonamigo MD, MSc, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adriano Heemann Pereira Neto MD, MS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology Service of Clinical, Hospital of Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Renan Rangel Bonamigo

  2. Health Secretary of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Sergio Ivan Torres Dornelles

Glossary

Aging 

Natural process that leads to progressive loss of structure and function of all tissues.

Black carbon 

Environmental pollutant rated ultrafine particulate from diesel exhausts. It is a carcinogen class 1. It is associated with some types of cancer, for example bladder cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and malignant melanoma.

Chloracne 

Acne variant associated with exposure to environmental pollutants that develops after systemic poisoning by halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. It is characterized by an acneiform eruption consisting of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), pustules, and cysts.

Extrinsic aging 

Process associated with exposure to free radicals created by numerous environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation and cigarette smoke. Signs of extrinsic aging are thick wrinkles, irregular pigmentation spots, and elastosis.

Intrinsic aging 

Process related to the accumulation over time of cell damage by reactive oxygen species from the organism itself.

Sensitive skin 

Inflammatory multifactorial syndrome with cutaneous hyperreactivity signals not immune to stimuli generally well tolerated, clinically characterized by subjective complaints of discomfort (burning, itching, xerosis, erythema, papules).

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Neto, A.H.P., Metzdorf, L., Leite, L.L., Bonamigo, R.R. (2018). Air Pollution and the Skin Health. In: Bonamigo, R., Dornelles, S. (eds) Dermatology in Public Health Environments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33919-1_48

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33919-1_48

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