New research has shown that early exposure to air pollution causes harmful changes in the brain like those seen in autism and schizophrenia. The findings in mice about pollution link it to the highest rates of autism in children, especially boys.
The effect of pollution on premature exposure
As in humans, male mice were mostly affected by the effects of contamination in this study. In addition to suffering physical damage to the brain , they did not have good results in short-term memory tests , neither learning ability nor impulsivity.
In a series of experiments, the scientists exposed mice to the levels of air pollution commonly found in medium-sized cities in the first two weeks after birth.
Mice examined at 24 hours after the last exposure showed evidence of "galloping" inflammation throughout the brain. The cerebral ventricles were filled with fluid on both sides of the brain and an enlargement of two or three times compared to its normal size was also seen.
The principal investigator, Professor Deborah Cory-Slechta , of the University of Rochester, USA, said: "When we looked closely at the ventricles, we could see that the white matter that normally surrounds them had not fully developed. It seems that the inflammation had damaged the brain cells and prevented the region of the brain from developing, and the ventricles simply expanded to fill the space. " He added: "'Our results add to the growing evidence that air pollution can play an important role in autism, as well as in other neurodevelopmental disorders."
The same defects were observed in other groups of mice 40 and 270 days after exposure, suggesting that the effects are permanent. The brains of the three groups of mice also showed high levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that influences, among others, the ability to learn. Excess glutamate is also related to the migraine disease Alzheimer or fibromyalgia, as well as with autism and schizophrenia.
The effect on the human being
This research, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives , focused on ultra-fine carbon particles produced by factories and motor vehicles. Being so small, the particles can travel deep into the lungs and become absorbed by the bloodstream.
Last year, a study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry showed that children who spend the first year of life in areas highly polluted by traffic are three times more likely to develop autism.
We must change our habits to pollute less and prepare a better planet for future generations to come. If you are a person concerned about the importance of respecting our planet, we advise you to follow the Useful Ecology page , where you will find hundreds of tricks to avoid further damaging nature.
