Neurological effects of ambient air pollution
Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Ambient air pollution is a global health problem and it is an important factor\nassociated with morbidity and mortality worldwide. In high-income countries air\npollution was associated with 2.5% of all deaths, making it the eighth leading risk\nfactor for mortality(Narayan, Ali et al. 2010). Cardio respiratory effects and\nmechanisms have been extensively investigated. There is also mounting evidence\nthat exposure to air pollution can cause stroke-related sickness and death. However,\nlittle is known regarding neurological effects. Air pollutants are substances in the air\nthat can cause harm to humans and the environment. They arise in different forms\nlike gasses, solid particles and liquid droplets. They are also divided in pollutants\nfrom natural sources in the environment, like volcanic activity and forest fires (when\nstarted by lightning) and pollutants that are man-made or anthropogenic. The most\ninvestigated air pollutants that have an adverse health effect are particulate matter\n(PM), ground level ozone (O3), black carbon (BC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These\npollutants can enter the brain via different pathways, including diffusion trough the\nlung epithelial and vascular endothelial layers, via the neuronal olfactory nerve and\nthrough disrupting the blood brain barrier by inducing oxidative stress and the\nexpression of pro-inflammatory molecules. Several groups have found associations\nbetween exposure to ambient air pollutants and neuro-degenerative effects and\ncognitive function, both in toxicology studies and epidemiology studies. The aim of\nthis review is to give some information about the exposure to ambient air pollutant\nand the adverse effects on the function of the brain. It will include studies on the\neffect on development due to prenatal or early childhood exposure as well as studies\nthat investigated the effect of air pollution exposures on the adult cognition function.
Author: C.M. Waaijenberg
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W282144979