Air pollution has become a fact of modern life, with a majority of the global population facing chronic exposure.
Although the impact of inhaling polluted air on the lungs is well known, scientists are just now beginning to understand how it affects the brain. A new article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, details how researchers are connecting air pollution to dementia, autism and other neurological diseases.
Arising from vehicle emissions, power plants and factories, air pollution is a complex soup of gases, metals, organic contaminants and other materials. Over 90% of the world’s population is continually exposed to particulate matter (PM) pollution, which is known to penetrate deep into the lungs, at levels above the World Health Organization’s guidelines, writes Contributing Editor Janet Pelley. Inhaling these substances causes inflammation, which is the body’s healthy response to injury or infection, but over time chronic inflammation can damage healthy tissues. f
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