Brain and whole human body need oxygen. Oxygen is in the air, and we need to breathe air. Because of that if we live in polluted zones where the air is bad, we will breathe hazardous air full of nasty particles that will harm us and our brain. That’s how logical mind should look at the situation with pollution. But average people are not concern about the pollution or environmental problems because the industry gives jobs and even a whole government is shutting eyes to the pollution problem.
They say, there is no pollution. If there is a pollution nothing is done to prevent or cut down that polluted air. And people that have power say that there is no pollution just to keep money flow and business growth. But thanks to the UNICEF and researchers today we know more about how pollution influence our everyday lives. UNICEF in their research claims that over 121 millions of babies live in polluted areas. The worst polluted zones are in Asia and Pacific. And that fact is true because on the east wearing a mask over your mouth is common. These babies are exposed to polluted air that is hurting their brain development. In first days of a babies life, fresh air and high-quality food are of most significant importance. It is proven that brain development requires fresh air and if there is no fresh air, the baby will have problems with developing healthy brain activity. First 1000 days of life are most important. In that time brain develops and if heavy metals or PM2.5 particles are breathed in high dosage, then your child may have difficulty with brain development.
Not only little ones are influenced by bad air. Heavy pollution also affects grown-ups and older people. Some study shows that older people may have dementia thanks to pollution in the air. The most famous research is about demented dogs from Mexico City. In the 2000s scientist found a first proof that polluted air may damage the brain. The proof was built on dogs that were living in polluted zones. All of them have some things in common. They were disoriented, and many of them didn’t even recognize the owner. That are real proofs that something wrong has to happen to their brains. After these dogs died, an autopsy was done which proved a plaque on their brain cells. To make a correlation with healthy dogs, the plaque was not found on the dogs who lived in good non-polluted areas. Later same research was done on kids, and the same plaque was found on the kids who lived in polluted zones.
Neuroscience is working on these researchers as I am typing this text. Technology is more advanced today, and new proofs are found every day that link pollution with brain damage. One of the latest research was done on the mice. The mice were given dirty air to breathe, and an autopsy has shown signs of early Alzheimer, tumors and other brain damages. But still, it is a huge mystery to neuroscientist how a badly polluted air can travel from lungs to the brain. The latest research on this matter points that particles that are smaller than 200 nanometers can go through tissue and then travel like neurons. If that study is right and if these result will be confirmed in next study, then we may say that pollution is really damaging everyone brain. Not only people are suffering from pollution but also animals.
Small Particles are Worse Nightmare to our Brains
Ultrasmall particles can get into our blood and then travel through our body and accumulate over the time. That way they can get in a brain and consequences are the risk. Particles like ultrafine magnetite can cause neurodegenerative disease by creating oxidative stress. Brain dedicated to the kid’s development and learning is attacked by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a nasty ultrasmall particle that attacks the brain.
And so far we are only talking about small nanoparticles and what is with all the toxins in the air?
Toxins are dangerous, even more, harmful than small particles. Small particles may damage your brain over time, and sometimes this process will take years. But toxins are more dangerous. Toxins attack faster. If you get caught in a polluted area with high toxin levels, then you may suffer immediately. You may get ill and get into the hospital, or you may even die. Because of that, an area with chemical industry should not be habituated. And if you live in such areas, you should move as soon as possible for your own health safety and your loved ones.
Fighting pollution must be our everyday job. The power to be should know and understand the problem. Money flow and business should be put aside when we are talking about the health of our children. Nothing is more precious than our children, and I don’t understand what kind of politics is this that ignores pollution and allows big industries to poison the air. Read below how can we reduce pollution in the air and help our children grow a healthy brain that will serve them for ages.
Cut Down Effects of Pollution on Brain
- We should invest in clean, renewable energy. This advice many big nations avoid to do because they are linked with a fossil industry and to fight fossil industries at this point you are making a political suicide. Because of that, we will not see a reduction of fossil energy. But the good news is that some advanced countries like Germany are working hard on the project to become 100% renewable energy country.
- You should move out from polluted zones. Urban plans are sometimes so bad, and you may be living next to the big industry which pollutes air every day. These industries should not be anywhere near the schools, hospitals or any buildings that major residents are kids.
- If you can’t fight pollution, then try to bring your kids immune system to the greatest capacity by the promotion of longer breastfeeding and consumption of real healthy foods.
- Monitoring air pollution should be an everyday task. If the pollution is high, you should stay at home and turn on the air purifier. That way even if the outside pollution is high the inside air is clean and free from any harmful particles that may harm you.
In the end, all we can do is stop ignoring one of the biggest problems of the modern time, pollution. Once we understand and measure pollution, then we can act. Maybe on the next elections, you should pay real good attention for who you vote and what they think about pollution. And maybe new government will solve the problem of neighboring industry polluting the air you breathe.