Is Air Pollution Affecting Child’s Working Memory?

As per recent findings of an IS Global study, air pollution on home-to-school routes reduces the growth of working memory. This research was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institute supported by the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation. The findings showed that exposure to air pollution on the way to school can have detrimental effects on children's cognitive development.

Additionally, there is an association between a reduction in working memory and exposure to fine particulate matter and black carbon, said the scientists.  The aim of the team taking responsibilities of the new research was to review the impact of exposure to air pollution during the walking commute to school.

During the previous research in the same project, the scientists claimed that exposure to traffic-related pollutants in schools was associated with slower cognitive development. The findings of an earlier study had shown that 20% of a child's daily amount of black carbon, a pollutant directly related to traffic, is inhaled during urban commutes.

By: Priyanka Negi

Content: www.sciencedaily.com