A new USC study involving 8,500 children from across the country has revealed that a form of air pollution, largely the product of agricultural emissions, is linked to poor learning and memory performance in 9- and 10-year-olds.
A new USC study involving 8,500 children from across the country has revealed that a form of air pollution, largely the product of agricultural emissions, is linked to poor learning and memory performance in 9- and 10-year-olds.
The specific component of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5), ammonium nitrate, is also implicated in Alzheimer’s and dementia risk in adults, suggesting that PM2.5 may cause neurocognitive harm across the lifespan. Ammonium nitrate forms when ammonia gas and nitric acid, produced by agricultural activities and fossil fuel combustion, respectively, react in the atmosphere.
The findings appear in Environmental Health Perspectives.
“Our study highlights the need for more detailed research on particulate matter sources and chemical components,” said senior author Megan Herting, an associate professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “It suggests that understanding these nuances is crucial for informing air quality regulations and understanding long-term neurocognitive effects.”
Read more at: University of South California
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