Air pollution leads to poor cognitive performance.

(Sakhvidi et al., 2022)

Air pollution is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. It accounts for about 2% of all dementia cases.

Sakhvidi et al., 2022, a cross-sectional study of 61,462 French metropolitan adults (average age of 58), examined whether exposure to outdoor air pollution is associated with lower cognitive performance.

Exposure to even a low level of general air pollution was correlated with decreased language skills and executive function.

Nitrogen dioxide and black carbon had more severe effects than general air pollution.

Women were more affected than men by air pollution in all aspects of cognition except language skills. Researchers didn’t have an explanation for this finding.

Note:

This is a cross-sectional study. This does not establish causation. However, since it’s extremely difficult (nearly impossible) to conduct a RCT to assess this association, this study provides valuable information. 

Reference:

Zare Sakhvidi MJ, Yang J, Lequy E, Chen J, de Hoogh K, Letellier N, Mortamais M, Ozguler A, Vienneau D, Zins M, Goldberg M, Berr C, Jacquemin B. Outdoor air pollution exposure and cognitive performance: findings from the enrolment phase of the CONSTANCES cohort. Lancet Planet Health. 2022 Mar