Air pollution causes 'huge' reduction in intelligence, study reveals

[Rhiannon12866]

Impact of high levels of toxic air ‘is equivalent to having lost a year of education’

Air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, according to new research, indicating that the damage to society of toxic air is far deeper than the well-known impacts on physical health.

The research was conducted in China but is relevant across the world, with 95% of the global population breathing unsafe air. It found that high pollution levels led to significant drops in test scores in language and arithmetic, with the average impact equivalent to having lost a year of the person’s education.

“Polluted air can cause everyone to reduce their level of education by one year, which is huge,” said Xi Chen at Yale School of Public Health in the US, a member of the research team. “But we know the effect is worse for the elderly, especially those over 64, and for men, and for those with low education. If we calculate [the loss] for those, it may be a few years of education.”

Previous research has found that air pollution harms cognitive performance in students, but this is the first to examine people of all ages and the difference between men and women.


Much more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/27/air-pollution-causes-huge-reduction-in-intelligence-study-reveals



Air pollution in China is three times above World Health Organisation limits. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

[KT2000]

1. the olfactory bulb

this should have been known a long time ago.

Olfactory bulb


The olfactory bulb is a neural structure of the vertebrate forebrain involved in olfaction, the sense of smell. It sends olfactory information to be further processed in the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex and the hippocampus where it plays a role in emotion, memory and learning. The bulb is divided into two distinct structures: the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb. The main olfactory bulb connects to the amygdala via the piriform cortex of the primary olfactory cortex and directly projects from the main olfactory bulb to specific amygdala areas. The accessory olfactory bulb resides on the dorsal-posterior region of the main olfactory bulb and forms a parallel pathway. Destruction of the olfactory bulb results in ipsilateral anosmia, while irritative lesions of the uncus can result in olfactory and gustatory hallucinations.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Excellent point!

We've long known that smells can evoke vivid memories.

[KT2000]

3. another factor

is that the nose is lined with cells that are close together. These cells become "looser" when the nasal mucosa has been damaged by certain chemicals. That could allow toxins to enter the brain if there is also damage to the blood brain barrier. That can happen under a number of circumstances - stress being one.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. And Trump is cutting anti pollution efforts as well as causing us stress.

[KT2000]

6. that's what is so scary -

this country and inhabitants will be in a big mess by the time he leaves.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. I think about this all the time, too

He causes more damage each and every day - reversing clean air and water efforts, not to mention his push to rescue coal and roll back emission standards. His EPA has done the opposite of what it was intended to do and all Trump's appointments - EPA, Energy, Interior, Agriculture - are climate change deniers.

[flibbitygiblets]

5. Republican 2fer

Hey, how come asians are so smart then?

[KT2000]

7. simple

parental pressure. In China, the kids start memorizing as soon as they start school. Their education is a bit different.

[Duppers]

9. They do well on test requiring only rote memory

Not creativity. This is one of the reasons they pirate our technical patents.

A couple of DUers who have worked in education in China have posted about this.