Air Pollution Puts Infants’ Brains Worldwide At Risk: UNICEF Report

More than 17 million infants are exposed to toxic levels of air pollution, according to a new report that suggests that children worldwide may be at a risk for brain and developmental issues. 

The December 2017 UNICEF report, Danger in the air: How air pollution can affect brain development in young children, warns about the pervasive harm young children can suffer due to air pollution.

A 2016 report indicated 90% of the worlds population live in areas with poor air quality, but this latest report found that more than 17 million children less than a year old live in areas with the absolute worst air pollution.

Historically, air pollution affects areas where the poorest populations live. A study published in 2014 indicated minority families were more likely to live in the path of harmful air pollution than white families.

Studies have linked air pollution to some of the “biggest killers of children,” including pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections. Drops in air pollution have resulted in fewer childhood respiratory problems in many areas, indicate a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to the UNICEF report, air pollution can have a negative impact on developing brains. In the first 1,000 days of life, the brain undergoes the most critical and rapid growth. Neural connections made during this time affect brain development in early childhood, which is important to a child’s learning and development into adulthood.

Similarly, children’s immune systems are vulnerable as the lungs are still developing. With every breath, children take in more air per unit of body weight than adults. Thus, when the air is toxic, they take in more of the harmful chemicals than adults.

Air pollution affects the brain in several ways. It causes neuro-inflammation and increases the amount of magnetite the brain is exposed to, damaging the blood brain barrier and making a person more susceptible neurodegenerative disease, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

It also contributes to the loss of white matter in the brain, which helps neurons communicate across different parts of the brain. This translates to reduced verbal and nonverbal IQ, memory, and test scores. It also affects a child’s ability to control their emotions and impulses. One study linked air pollution exposure to the development of autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders.

Another recent study indicated air pollution exposure during pregnancy may lead to a child aging prematurely later in life. Even at air pollution levels below national safety standards, the risk of early death is increased.

The UNICEF report calls for increased efforts to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution. The group  advocates for the replacement of fossil fuels with clearer renewable sources, like solar, wind, and thermal. The agency recommends implementing advanced filtration and scrubber systems in cars and industrial exhaust to reduce pollution.

UNICEF also calls for children to spend less time in heavy polluted areas, like high traffic locations or where industrial pollution is heavy.

Better air pollution monitoring and advocacy for parents can also help families be more aware of the air quality in their homes and communities.

“What research is showing us now is that a variety of other air pollutants may also be harming children’s brains,” the report’s authors wrote. “The potential scale and impact are too high for us to ignore. Given all the risks that air pollution poses, the need to act is urgent.”