A recent study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria found that even moderate traffic pollution can impair brain function within hours.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health, revealed that exposure to diesel exhaust for just two hours reduces the brain’s functional connectivity, offering the first scientific proof of altered brain network connectivity brought on by air pollution in humans in a controlled experiment.
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to record brain activity before and after exposure to diesel exhaust and filtered air. The results showed that subjects had less functional connectivity in many areas of the default mode network, a set of interconnected brain regions crucial for memory and internal thought.
The study’s first author, Dr Jodie Gawryluk, said more research is needed to fully understand the functional impacts of these changes, but added that “it’s possible that they may impair people’s thinking or ability to work.”
The study found that the changes in brain function caused by exposure to diesel exhaust were temporary, and that subjects’ connectivity returned to normal after exposure. However, the researchers noted that if exposure is continuous, the effects could potentially be long-lasting. Senior study author and Head of Respiratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia, Dr Chris Carlsten, advises people to be aware of the potential effects of exposure to traffic pollution and to take precautions such as keeping car air filters in good working order, and avoiding heavily polluted areas when walking or biking.