How Air Pollution Effects The Brain

Air pollution not only affects the lungs, but it also affects the brain as well! PM2.5, the smallest type of air pollution can enter the lungs and go into the bloodstream from which they will be transported to the rest of the body, along with the oxygenated blood. Blood goes to every single organ, So air pollution affects all of them, including the brain. There is also another way that air pollution can get into the brain that doesn’t involve the lungs at all, and that would be through the olfactory nerve. As you can see in this diagram from the California Air Resources Board, the air pollution enters through the nose, and instead of going down to the lungs, it goes up through the olfactory nerve, entering the brain that way. Air pollution affects the brains of unborn children, children, and adults. 

You may think that air pollution wouldn’t affect the brain of someone that hasn’t even taken a single breath of air, but it does. If air pollution is in the bloodstream of someone who is pregnant, the air pollution, along with the blood will reach the unborn fetus. This can result in a low birth weight, a preterm birth, autism, and asthma in the child. Air pollution can reach the brain of unborn children while they are still in the womb through the bloodstream of the mother. 

Air pollution can harm the neural development of children, in some cases resulting in worsening behavioral disorders such as autism and ADHD. If children are consistently exposed to particulate matter, they may experience brain inflammation, and even an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s later in life. According to the American Physiological Association, “kids exposed to greater levels of black carbon scored worse on tests of memory and verbal and nonverbal IQ”. 

Exposure to particulate matter in the long term can cause cognitive decline over time. When exposed to PM2.5, the brain of adults will age much faster and will have an increased risk of having small, silent strokes, increased risk of dementia, and an increased risk of developing depression later on. 

Air pollution affects everybody through lung damage and brain damage, even unborn children are affected, so it’s important to be aware of our air. 

Air pollution enters through the nose, and instead of going down to the lungs, it goes up through the olfactory nerve. From California Air Resources Board