Air pollution linked to brain changes in children

Outdoor air pollution from power plants, fires and cars continues to degrade human, animal and environmental health around the globe. New research shows that even pollution levels that are below government air-quality standards are associated with differences in children's brains.

Children and teens are especially vulnerable to air pollution because their brains and bodies are still developing. They tend to spend more time outdoors, and their bodies absorb more contaminants relative to their bodyweight than adults, researchers said.

Outdoor air pollution and brain development

The studies ranged in how they measured brain differences. Some used advanced scanning methods like magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. Others tested changes in chemical compounds that aid in brain function and health. Some studies looked for tumors in the brain or central nervous system.

Studies from Mexico City that compared children from high- and low-pollution areas found significant differences in brain structure.

Outdoor air pollution 

Sources of outdoor air pollution include coal-fired plants, wildfires and many other sources near where people live. This systematic review is unique because most others have focused on how air pollution affects adults or animals, researchers said.

To establish a causal link between outdoor air pollution and differences in the brain, the research team looked to experimental research on animals. That research showed that pollution does lead to many of the same outcomes identified by the studies in this review, including markers for Alzheimer's disease.

Reducing harm 

This systematic review proposed steps for both parents and policymakers to protect their children from outdoor air pollution by, for example, adding air filters to homes and schools near freeways.

"We listed air purifiers as one of the policy recommendations, and that is something that could be subsidized or provided in schools and other places where children spend a lot of time," said Hostinar. "These can be quite effective."

Source:

University of California - Davis

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