Being exposed to air pollution – even for a short period of time – can make focusing on tasks much harder, a new study has suggested.
Scientists discovered that even brief exposure to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) may impair a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner.
Researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester, which conducted the study, suggested such exposure can have “immediate negative effects”, making everyday activities such as the weekly supermarket shop more challenging.
It’s not the first time pollution has been linked to poor brain health.
According to the Environmental Health Sciences Centre, multiple studies have linked air pollution, especially traffic-related fumes, to increased risk of neuro degenerative disease, such as dementia.
It has also been linked to multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
What did the study involve?
Researchers exposed study participants to either high levels of air pollution (using candle smoke) or clean air, and tested cognitive abilities before and four hours after exposure.
The tests measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.
Selective attention and emotion recognition were negatively affected by air pollution – regardless of whether subjects breathed normally or only through their mouths.
It’s hard to know why this happens, but the authors suggest that inflammation caused by pollution may be responsible.
Interestingly, while selective attention and emotion recognition were affected, working memory was not.
They said this indicates that some brain functions are more resilient to short-term pollution exposure.
Co-author Professor Francis Pope, from the University of Birmingham, said poor air quality “undermines intellectual development and worker productivity”.
“Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas,” he added.
The study’s authors said more research is needed to understand the pathways through which air pollution affects brain functions and to explore the long-term impacts, especially on vulnerable populations like children and older adults.
Globally, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor to human health.
In 2015, some 4.2 million deaths were attributed to PM2.5, a type of fine particulate matter in the air.