Air pollution linked to poor learning and memory in children

A new study of 8,500 children from across the United States has revealed that one form of air pollution, mainly produced by agricultural emissions, is linked to poor learning and memory in 9- and 10-year-olds.

PM2.5 in the air can harm lifelong neurocognitive function - Photo: Freepik

According to Neuroscience News , the specific component of fine particulate matter pollution, or PM2.5, is ammonium nitrate, which has also been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in adults.

This suggests that airborne PM2.5 may be harmful to neurocognitive function throughout life.

The impact of air quality on the brain

Ammonium nitrate is formed when ammonia gas and nitric acid, products of agricultural activities and fossil fuel burning, interact in the atmosphere. The findings were published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

“Our study highlights the need for more detailed studies of the origins and chemical composition of dust particles,” said lead author Megan Herting, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

“That said, understanding these details is crucial for making air quality regulations and understanding the long-term effects on neurocognition.”

For the past few years, Herting has been working with data from the largest brain study in the United States, called the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, to understand how PM2.5 might affect the brain.

PM2.5, an important indicator of air quality, is a mixture of dust, soot, organic compounds and metals with particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. PM2.5 can cause serious health problems.

Fossil fuel burning is one of the biggest sources of PM2.5, especially in urban areas, but other sources such as wildfires, agriculture and chemical reactions also play important roles.

Ammonium nitrate is the "main culprit"

In 2020, Herting and colleagues published a paper in which they looked at PM2.5 in general and its potential impact on cognition in children, but found no association.

In this study, they used special statistical techniques to look at 15 chemical components of PM2.5 and their sources. Ammonium nitrate – often the result of agricultural and livestock activities – emerged as a major cause.

“No matter how we looked at it, whether alone or together with other pollutants, the most robust finding was that ammonium nitrate particles were associated with poorer learning and memory,” Herting said. “This suggests that overall PM2.5 is a factor, but for cognition, it’s a combination of the effects of what you’re exposed to.”

In the next project, the researchers hope to investigate how these mixtures and origins might influence individual differences in brain phenotypes, during child and adolescent development.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/o-nhiem-khong-khi-lien-quan-den-hoc-tap-va-tri-nho-kem-o-tre-em-20241107042116644.htm