Air pollution may result in fall-off in intelligence

Exposure to air pollution may be linked to a significant decline in intelligence that becomes worse as people age.

Research drawing on data from China found that the effect of breathing polluted air was equivalent, on average, to a person losing a year of education.

Experts said that the results were globally relevant. Jonathan Grigg, a professor of paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said: ‘‘These findings from China add to the overwhelming evidence of the adverse impact of air pollution on the human body, which is relevant everywhere where there are levels of air pollution above WHO [World Health Organisation] limits. Air pollution in the UK is a public health disaster. Our air is illegally polluted and the government must take urgent steps to reduce the levels of pollution as soon as possible.’’

The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, raised concerns about the ability of some older people to make important medical and financial decisions.

The new study drew on maths and verbal tests on more than 20,000 people in 2010 and again, on the same people, in 2014. Those results were compared to pollution conditions at the time of each test.

Language ability deteriorated more than mathematical ability and men appeared to be more vulnerable.

People with lower education levels may experience more harm because they are more likely to work outside.

Air quality was measured using daily readings of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers. The researchers tried to rule out the possibility of people becoming less co-operative or impatient when exposed to more pollution. They also accounted for the dip in cognitive ability that comes as people age. – The Times