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How Air Pollution Affects the Developing Brain in Children and Adolescents
- Outdoor air pollution poses significant neurotoxic effects for the developing brain in children and adolescents, and affects cognitive and emotional health negatively.
- Outdoor air pollution is a complex blend of gases and particulate matter that infiltrates the lives of billions worldwide, endangering the young and vulnerable population.
- Children and adolescents are particularly susceptible to air pollution due to the extensive and dynamic changes that happen in their brains through neurodevelopment.
- Exposure to particulate matter through air pollution can induce inflammation and damage to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), causing reductions in hippocampal volume and cortical thinning, and affecting executive function, emotional regulation, and memory.
- The harmful effects of air pollution exposure are not evenly distributed across populations and can exacerbate the burden of chronic psychosocial stress faced by marginalized communities.
- Public health policies must take steps to reduce emissions from industrial and vehicular sources to effectively control air pollution. Public awareness campaigns can play a role in educating the public to reduce their exposure to high pollution.
- Investments in cleaner air are investments in the cognitive and emotional potential of future generations, with global implications for health and equity.
- Emerging research offers hope for identifying biomarkers of resilience and interventions that can counteract the harmful effects of air pollution on brain development.
- Multidisciplinary research can help unravel complex pathways through which air pollution can affect neurodevelopment and help focus on mitigating harmful impacts.
- The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated, as the health of billions hangs in the balance and cleaner air is instrumental in societal progress and more cognitive and emotional potential for the future.
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