When it comes to pressing environmental issues, air pollution is a common concern. The effects of air pollution on human health, specifically cardiovascular and respiratory systems, are well known. But have you ever wondered what it might be doing to your brain?
A research team from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester asked this exact question and discovered that even short-term exposure to air pollution can have surprising and long-lasting effects on our ability to perform daily activities.
The specific type of pollution at the forefront of this study, published in Nature Communications, is particulate matter (PM) air pollution. PM air pollution is a mixture of solid particulates and liquid droplets in the air and includes things like dust, smoke, and soot.
Study participants were split into two groups and exposed to either PM air pollution or clean air. Researchers simulated PM air pollution by using controlled candle smoke. A ...
