New Delhi, June 7 (IANS). Air pollution affects not only our heart but also our brain. Such that memory may become weak and the ability to think and understand also decreases. A new study has claimed that long-term exposure to air pollution can have a serious impact on a person’s memory and cognitive abilities. According to researchers, its effect could be equivalent to natural aging of about 10 years.
This study was conducted by researchers from American institutions UC Davis Health and Kaiser Permanente. In this, the effect of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter on brain health was examined.
Researchers said that pollution generated from forest fires, fossil fuel-based power plants, Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers and high-fuel-consuming vehicles is continuously deteriorating the air quality. According to the study, these pollutants are posing a serious threat not only to the environment but also to the human brain.
The study found that people who lived in a highly polluted environment for about 20 years had relatively weak memory. The participants’ ability to remember facts, words and general information was tested. The results revealed that people living in more polluted areas consistently had lower scores than those living in cleaner environments.
According to researchers, the biggest impact of pollution was seen on “semantic memory”. It is the ability through which a person remembers words, their meanings, concepts and general knowledge and uses them in daily life.
Katherine Conlon, senior author of the study and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis, said that semantic memory is extremely important for effective communication, language comprehension, information processing and everyday tasks.
Researchers believe that this study further strengthens the growing scientific evidence regarding the relationship between air pollution and health problems. He stressed the need to improve air quality and reduce prolonged exposure to harmful pollutants, so as to protect physical health as well as mental and cognitive health.
–IANS
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