Small increases in level of fine particle pollution are linked to a 16 per cent increase in the risk of dementia among locals, a study conducted by the University of Washington has found.
The study, published in the Environmental Health Perspectives Journal, found that small increases in the amount of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) averaged over a period of ten years against specific addresses within Seattle, discovered that there is a greater risk of developing dementia.
Researchers found an increase of 1 microgram per cubic meter of exposure equated to a 16 per cent great likelihood of later developing dementia.
The research would examine patients diagnosed with dementia, and compared their estimated pollution exposure with other participants over the decade prior to when each reached the age of 72.
‘We know dementia develops over a long period of time. It takes years – even decades – for these pathologies to develop in the brain, and so we needed to look at exposures that covered that extended period,’ said Dr Rachel Shaffer, lead author of the study.
‘We had the ability to estimate exposures for 40 years in this region. That is unprecedented in this research area and a unique aspect of our study.
‘Over an entire population, a large number of people are exposed. So, even a small change in relative risk ends up being important on a population scale. There are some things that individuals can do, such as mask-wearing, which is becoming more normalised now because of COVID. But it is not fair to put the burden on individuals alone.
‘These data can support further policy action on the local and national level to control sources of particulate air pollution.’
This research comes after other research conducted by the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health discovered a ‘significant link’ between air pollution particles and neurological disorders.
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