Severe air pollution can speed up neurodegeneration when the brain is at the peak of its development — during childhood. Pictured here, a child in Beijing. Credit: Shutterstock
That's right —millions of children around the world currently breathe air that may put them at risk of premature cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
This is the story of how we continue to poison our children's brains and cut their lives short.
Around 300 million children live in areas, such as Mexico City, where outdoor air pollution exceeds international guidelines by at least six times. Credit: Shutterstock
Those brains had only one thing in common —they were from residents of Mexico City, one of the most polluted megacities in the world.
Further study showed what became a frequent grim picture in scientific reports. Microscopic images of unhealthy brain slices in diseased animals and humans showed particulate matter and ultrafine particulate matter as tiny dark spots surrounded by inflamed tissue.
Polluted megacities include those such as Paris, London and Los Angeles. Here, traffic is shown in the city of London, UK. Credit: Shutterstock
Substantial cognitive decline in kids' brains
We found that children from Mexico City had substantial cognitive decline as compared to population norms, and as compared to other children of similar age, sex and family and neighborhood backgrounds who lived in less polluted areas.
We were also able to pinpoint unusual cognitive deficits to key developing areas of the brain: the prefrontal, temporal and parietal lobes of the cortex.
The good news: It is still possible to clear the air of cities, both indoors and outdoors, and minimize children's exposure.
However, our attitudes must now shift from caution and waiting to immediate action. We need to commit to hard choices that may go against the convenience and ease of modern life we are accustomed to. For example, relying on cars and other combustion-based technologies.
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Air pollution in global megacities linked to children's cognitive decline, Alzheimer's and death (2019, September 26)
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