Air Pollution Can be Detrimental to Child’s IQ
February 5, 2010
Natural News
By David Gutierrez
Exposure to air pollution in the womb can significantly reduce a child’s IQ, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health in New York and published in the journal Pediatrics.
The researchers conducted the experiment on pregnant, non-smoking black and Dominican American women between the ages of 18 and 35 who were living in the New York City neighborhoods of Harlem, South Bronx or Washington Heights. The participants wore personal air monitors during pregnancy, providing the researchers accurate data on the women’s exposure to a class of air pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The participant’s children were then subjected to standardized IQ tests at age five.
“These results provide evidence that environmental PAHs at levels encountered in New York City air can affect children’s IQ adversely,” the researchers concluded.
PAHs are produced by the burning of fossil fuels and other organic materials, including tobacco. The major source of PAH pollution in urban areas is automobile exhaust.
The researchers found that after adjusting for other factors that might affect IQ, children of mothers who had high PAH exposure during pregnancy had IQ scores an average of 4.31 points lower than children of mothers with lower exposure. The difference in verbal IQ scores was even higher, with children of high-exposure mothers scoring an average of 4.61 points lower. This IQ difference is equivalent to that seen in children with low-level lead exposure.
“These findings are of concern because these decreases in IQ could be educationally meaningful in terms of school performance,” lead author Frederica Perera said.
High PAH exposure was defined as higher than the participants’ median exposure level, 2.26 nanograms per cubic meter. It was a comparative measure used for the purposes of the study only, and not linked to any health recommendations.
Previous research has already suggested that PAH exposure can cause cancer and damage the neurological and reproductive systems.
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Dementia from Traffic Fumes
November 23, 2009
Natural News
By E. Huff
A recent German study published in the journal Environmental Research revealed a definitive link between prolonged inhalation of automobile fumes and inflammation of the brain. An analysis of a group of women found that those who lived closest to busy roads were the most likely to develop memory problems and mild cognitive impairment, indicating the potential onset of fume-induced dementia.
The group from Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf constructed models that measured air pollution and the location of the womens’ homes in proximity to roads that were travelled by more than 10,000 cars in a day. Findings revealed that, among women under age 74, those that lived the closest to the busy roads performed the worst on cognition tests.
Since mild cognitive decline can indicate either a transition between normal aging and dementia, further research and follow-up with the women was emphasized. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most widely recognized forms of dementia and researchers continue to investigate its causes.
It is widely accepted that air pollution particles are so small that they are able to pass through the lungs and make their way into the brain. As a result, the brain tissue becomes inflamed and cognitive decline begins to occur. By crossing the blood-brain barrier and lodging themselves in the brain, these particulates are the primary suspect in causing cognitive dysfunction.
Toxic heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury act similarly in that they build up in the body, particularly in the brain, and cause serious problems. Antiperspirant deodorants, baking sodas, food additives, and vaccines commonly contain aluminum derivatives that many claim are the perpetrators in causing brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Vaccines are also often loaded with mercury.
Industry must also strive to develop cleaner forms of energy that cause less of a negative impact upon people. Particularly with automobiles, clean fuel technologies are of critical importance since vehicle exhaust is known also to induce asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
One would do best to live as far away from busy roads and polluted areas as possible and to integrate an ongoing detoxification regime into his or her lifestyle. By continually ridding the body of lodged toxins with supplements such as chlorella, spirulina, and garlic, the potential for excessive toxin buildup is virtually impossible. By perpetually cleansing the body, it will be better able to fend off harmful disease despite inevitable exposure to various toxins.
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