Outdoor air pollution is a combination of dangerous chemicals and gases stemming from various sources, such as wildfires and volcanic activity, to traffic and factories. This causes harmful pollutants to circulate in the air, such as particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). A recent study published in Environmental Research suggests that the inhalation of such pollutants may alter the physical development of the brain among adolescents.
Previous research has established the connection between poor air quality and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. However, there is growing concern about how these pollutants affect the central nervous system. Pollutants like fine particulate matter are small enough to penetrate into the lungs, where they can enter the bloodstream and possibly cross the protective barrier that shields the brain. Once in the brain, they could disrupt the function of neurons. However, adolescents may be more susceptible to this issue as “their bodies are still developing, and they tend to breathe in more air relative to their body weight than adults do”.
“What we’re discovering is that chronic exposure to common, low-level air pollutants may act like a slow, subtle pressure on the developing brain,” said Calvin Jara, M.D., resident in otolaryngology/head and neck surgeries in the OHSU School of Medicine, and lead author of the study. “It may not cause symptoms right away, but over time it appears capable of nudging brain development off its typical course, with potential consequences for developmental trajectories and outcomes across the life course.”
To understand the effects on adolescents, around 11,000 participants (ages 9 and 10) were recruited for the study. Researchers used the addresses of the participants to determine their exposure to certain air pollutants. Throughout the course of four years, these participants underwent MRI scans so that researchers could measure cortical thickness across various regions of their brains. The data showed that higher exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide was associated with faster cortical thinning. Also, they found that the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain were most affected, which are parts of the brain key in executive functions and social cues, respectively. Researchers warn that these effects can negatively affect a child’s well-being in that such changes in their brain structure can lead to impaired attention and behavioral concerns.
“Environmental factors have a huge impact on how healthy children can be, and ultimately how healthy they’ll be over their lifetime,” said Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D., OHSU’s Interim Chief Research Officer, and the study’s co-author. “This work adds to the growing body of evidence that pollution is not just an environmental issue; it’s a significant and growing health issue, especially for our youngest and most vulnerable.”
Courtesy of medicalxpress.com
