Traffic pollution impairs brain functions

Traffic pollution impairs brain functions

A new study shows that conventional levels of traffic pollution can impair human brain functions within hours. The study is considered the first study of its kind to show – through a controlled experiment, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) – that exposure to car exhaust disrupts the ability of different areas of the human brain to interact and communicate with each other.

The results of the study – which were published in the journal “Environmental Health” and were carefully reviewed (peer-reviewed) – also show that exposure in just two hours to the exhaust of diesel cars leads to a decrease in the functional connectivity of the brain; The study provides the first evidence that the brain is affected by air pollution. This is through an experiment that took place under specific, special conditions.

How does traffic pollution affect the brain?

“For decades, scientists have believed that the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said the study’s senior author, Dr. Chris Carlstein, professor and chair of the Department of Respiratory Medicine and representative of the Canada Research Chair at the Center for Research in Lung Disease and the Functional Environment at the University of British Columbia. This study – which is the first of its kind in the world – provides new evidence that supports the relationship between air pollution and cognition.”

To conduct the study, researchers exposed 25 healthy adults – for brief, sporadic periods – to diesel exhaust and fresh air in a laboratory setting, where brain activity was measured before and after each exposure, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The researchers analyzed changes in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a group of interconnected brain regions that plays an important role in memory and internal thinking. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that participants experienced decreased functional connectivity in different regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to fresh air.

Dr. Judy Gorelock, a professor of psychology at the University of Victoria and first author on the study, said: “We know in the medical community that altered functional connectivity in the DMN is associated with a decline in an individual’s cognitive performance and the emergence of symptoms of depression. This is why it is disturbing to see traffic pollution when it causes disruption to the functional connectivity of the network itself. Of course, more research is needed to fully understand the functional effects of these changes, as it is possible that they may impair people’s thinking or their ability to work.”

How to protect yourself from traffic pollution?

It is worth noting that the effects of traffic pollution revealed by the study – as a result of exposure to diesel exhaust – were temporary, as the participants’ condition returned to normal again after the exhaust stopped. However, it would not be surprising to speculate that these effects would extend if the exposure to exhaust was continuous. Therefore, we must pay special attention to the air we breathe, and take appropriate steps; To reduce exposure to potentially harmful air pollutants such as car exhaust.

This study – the first of its kind – may motivate many people to think twice before opening windows, when they are stuck in traffic. Therefore, they must ensure that the air conditioners in their cars are highly efficient, and they must consider switching to less crowded roads, whether when walking or when cycling on crowded streets to avoid traffic pollution.

Air pollution is known as the greatest environmental threat to human health, as it causes the death of millions of people every year, not only because of its serious impact on the respiratory organs, but also because of its increasing impact on the body’s major organ systems.

The study is a warning bell that draws attention to the fact that air pollution in general – not just car exhaust – will have serious effects on our brain health, something that was not recognized before. So the shocking results of the study highlight – for policy makers and public health officials – the potential dangers of increasing levels of air pollution in various environments.

It is worth noting that the study was conducted in the “Exposure to Air Pollutants” laboratory atUniversity of British Columbia, located at Vancouver General Hospital, as the laboratory is equipped with a modern cabin that can simulate what it is like to breathe a variety of air pollutants. In this study – which was carefully designed and approved for safety – researchers used newly generated exhaust – which was diluted and modified to reflect real-world conditions – to obtain realistic results of the impact of traffic pollution.