Air pollution is a concerning health problem for many reasons, but a new study found that inhaling particulate matter can hurt our ability to focus on simple tasks and interpret others' emotions.
What's happening?
The Guardian reported on new research published in Nature Communications that suggests even short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution harms brain function.
Twenty-six adults participated in the study and were exposed to different pollution levels before completing various cognitive tests. The results showed they struggled with attention and emotional understanding.
According to the World Health Organization, inhaling pollutants causes oxidative stress, immunosuppression, inflammation, and cell mutagenicity. Breathing in these particulates poses a lung, heart, and brain health risk, possibly causing diseases. Associated health issues include lung cancer, stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and cataracts.
The long-term effects of breathing in fine PM are clearly troubling. However, this new study indicates that air pollution is also a short-term problem for human health.
How can these short-term effects impact people?
One of the study's co-authors, Dr. Thomas Faherty of the University of Birmingham, explained to the Guardian, "In daily life, you could get more distracted by things. Supermarket shopping is a good example … it might mean that you get more distracted by impulse buys … because you're not able to focus on your task goals."
The second major concern is people's ability to recognize certain emotions in others. The study found that exposure to high levels of PM weakened people's emotional recognition.
"[Participants] were worse at perceiving whether a face was fearful or happy," Faherty told the Guardian. He expressed concern over the implications of this behavior and cited the possible connection between short-term air pollution and violent crime.
He theorized, "You could kind of tentatively link those things together, possibly saying that the reason for that might be some kind of emotional dysregulation."
These effects on the brain can cause daily disruptions for people performing simple tasks. The potential of short-term pollution to cause social disconnects is massively worrisome.
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Yes — always 💯 How can short-term air pollution be avoided?
Avoiding PM and air pollution in general is difficult, especially in major urban areas. Wearing a face mask can help limit exposure. While indoor air pollution is still a problem, spending less time outdoors in dense urban areas can help. Working as a community to reduce air pollution is essential.
Driving less, driving electric vehicles, using electric lawn equipment, choosing energy-efficient appliances, and carpooling can all help decrease pollution and limit exposure to PM. Improving the planet's air quality will also lessen everyone's short-term and long-term health risks.
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