A 2022 study published in Environmental Pollution showed that exposure to air pollutants affects the brain development of babies in the womb and preadults (9 to 12 years).
The study shows that increased exposure to particulate matter 2.5(small dust particles of 2.5 microns size, PM 2.5) in the first two years of growth of children leads to enlarged putamen. The putamen is a vital brain region that maintains brain-body communication.
The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) research team found that air pollutants like PM 2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) alter the structure of white matter in the cerebral cortex. “Similar [structural]changes are seen in psychiatric conditions like mood disorders and autism spectrum disorders,” says Dr Anne-Claire Binter, first author of the study. Also, conditions like schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders are linked to larger putamen, she adds.
Another 2022 study indicates that the exposure to nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 are associated with higher levels of beta-amyloid protein deposition in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series for the World Environment Day (5 June 2023)
