High levels of pollution 'can impact the brain'

The importance of air clean-up operations has been highlighted by a new study, which showed that high levels of pollution can impact the brain.

Research conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston has indicated that people over the age of 51 who have been exposed to large volumes of fumes in their lives had lower test scores than those who have come from more rural backgrounds, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The exams were adjusted to account for different educational and social backgrounds, but the overall results showed that mental decline was greater in those from built-up regions.

Dr Melinda Power from the department of epidemiology and environmental health was quoted by the publication as saying: "Our results suggest an adverse effect of traffic related air pollution on global cognitive function in older men."

Meanwhile, a second study by the Ohio State University in Columbus - which was conducted on animals - discovered that pollution from vehicles can reduce the growth of neurons in the brain.

This comes after more research by the University of California showed that exposure to pollution can increase the chance of premature births by up to 30 per cent.

Posted by Joseph Hutton