The muck we breathe pollutes our thinking
Air pollution clouds the mind and makes everyday tasks challenging, say scientists
AIR pollution fogs the mind, scientists have found. Not in any metaphorical sense, either; it literally dulls our cognitive abilities, making everyday tasks that much harder to conduct.
Our ability to interpret emotions, or focus of performing a task is reduced by short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution, according to the findings of a study published in the journal, Nature Communications.
Scientists discovered that even brief exposure to high concentrations of PM may impair a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner.
“Our study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities, such as doing the weekly supermarket shop,” said the study's co-author, Dr Thomas Faherty, from the University of Birmingham.
Volunteers taking part in the study were exposed to either high levels of air pollution – using candle smoke – or clean air, testing cognitive abilities before and four hours after exposure. The tests measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.
In their study, the researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester reveal that selective attention and emotion recognition were negatively affected by air pollution – regardless of whether subjects breathed normally or only through their mouths.
The experts suggest that inflammation caused by pollution may be responsible, noting that while selective attention and emotion recognition were affected, working memory was not. The study suggests this indicates that some brain functions are more resilient to short-term pollution exposure.
Cognitive functioning encompasses a diverse array of mental processes crucial for everyday tasks. Selective attention, for example, helps decision-making and goal-directed behaviour, such as prioritising items on your shopping list in the supermarket, while ignoring other products and resisting impulse buys.
Working memory serves as a temporary workspace for holding and manipulating information, vital for tasks requiring simultaneous processing and storage, essential for tasks that require multitasking, such as planning a schedule or juggling multiple conversations.
Socio-emotional cognition, which involves detecting and interpreting emotions in oneself and others, helps guide socially acceptable behaviour. Although these are separate cognitive skills, they work together to enable the successful completion of tasks both at work in other aspects of life.
Cognitive function
Overall, the study highlights the need for further research to understand the pathways through which air pollution affects cognitive functions and to explore the long-term impacts, especially on vulnerable populations like children and older adults.
“Poor air quality undermines intellectual development and worker productivity, with significant societal and economic implications in a high-tech world reliant on cognitive excellence,” said co-author professor Francis Pope, also from Birmingham university.
“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.”
The study is said to be the first to experimentally manipulate inhalation routes of PM air pollution, providing valuable insights into how different pathways affect cognitive functions. Researchers emphasise the need for further investigation into long-term impacts and potential protective measures.
Globally, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor to human health, increasing premature mortality. The detrimental impacts of poor air quality on cardiovascular and respiratory systems are widely acknowledged, with links to neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
“This study shows the importance of understanding the impacts of air pollution on cognitive function and the need to study the influences of different sources of pollution on brain health in vulnerable older members of society, ” said professor Gordon McFiggans, from the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester.
MC