How Pollution Impacts Our Brains

This essay was originally delivered by one of my students in my Global Management Issues class in March 2023. I like to highlight the best speeches on my blog. I learn from my students every quarter and am in awe of their passion about understanding issues in our world. - J. Brogee

Nowadays, climate change is a topic most of us are aware of; "how does climate change affect the environment?" "Several concepts such as; air pollution, ocean pollution, deforestation, extinction of animals, and reduction of biodiversity". However, a vast majority of us are completely unaware of how climate change and air pollution affect our brains and cognitive function. Throughout this speech, I will be exposing a few ways in which our brains are being affected by pollution and its outcome of it.

Before I get started exposing the different ways pollution can affect our brains, I want to highlight the role of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) when talking about pollution. According to the book author, noncommunicable diseases are not caused by infection, however, require long-term treatment. NCDs are what we know as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. And you probably wonder what non-communicable diseases have to do with pollution and brain development, and indeed this two are highly related. Individuals with NCDs are more vulnerable and susceptible to the negative impacts that pollution has on the brain. Age, gender, and disease status play a huge role in the development of these NCDs, however, exposure to pollution accelerates the development of these cognitive function impairments and health limitations. Age, gender, and disease status are some of the main things we must consider when talking about brain and pollution.

According to Calderon et al. (2015), ambient pollution when considered by adults is associated with stroke and depression, children show significant systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, and brain oxidative stress. This explains the difference between age, gender, and disease status.

The brain is one of the most complex organs of the body, if not the most complex organ of the body. For this reason, any toxin out of the “usual” can have a huge impact on the development of the brain. Some of the ways pollution can have an impact on the brain are through inflammation, neurotoxicity, alternations in brain volume, increase risk of dementia, and behavioral and emotional problems.

The first potential harm polluted air has on the brain and cognitive function is inflammation. Long exposure to air pollutants can lead to Inflammation of the brain. This inflammation can impair cognitive function, leading to memory loss and other cognitive issues. Additionally, brain inflammation harms brain cells and impairs their capacity to communicate with one another. In a developing brain, (born to 12-14 years old), the brain is still expanding and creating these neural connections, this is the period where neuroplasticity is at its peak. In the same way, it's easier for kids to learn new languages, and play instruments compared to adults. Their brain is incredibly modulating and adapting, for this reason, any abnormal alternation or inflammation of an area of the brain can have significant long-term outcomes.

Moving forward, the second potential harm that air pollution has on the brain is neurotoxicity. In polluted air, many toxic substances reside, such as mercury and pesticides. Exposure to these products can result in neurotoxicity, which can harm the neuro system and impair cognitive function. And you may wonder, how will it impair cognitive function? Think about a 5-year-old kid, the brain is still developing, creating networks, and expanding neurons, the influence of these toxins will inhibit some of these pathways, affecting the frontal and temporal lobe, which will affect the development of communication of skills and interactions with human beings.

Another interesting thing I would like to highlight is how not only the frontal and temporal lobes are affected by toxins, but exposure to air pollution over an extended period of time can also cause a reduction in brain mass. And now you may wonder what happens if there is a brain size reduction. Well, many things can happen. These two areas are crucial for memory, decision-making, and focus. This supports the hypothesis of why in the last years there has been an exponential increase of children with ADHD, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and a decrease in interpersonal skills. (Selkoe, 2001).

Additionally, air pollution leads to an increased risk of dementia, also known as Alzheimer’s disease, especially in older individuals. According to Selkoe (2001), Alzheimer’s the disease is linked to large amounts of beta-amyloid plaques, with pollution in the air this the process accelerates, which creates an exponential growth of beta-amyloid plaques.

Last but not least, pollution also has an impact on emotions and behavior. Exposure to pollution during development can lead to behavioral and emotional problems, including anxiety and depression. For instance, if you picture a big city, such as New York, people tend to walk fast to places, drive more recklessly, and have stress and anxious behaviors. These tendencies are due to the simple fact that the city has high levels of polluted air, and neurotoxins, which affect our irritability and stress levels. On the other hand, if you picture a little town, even smaller than Lima, people tend to move slower, with less rush and more patience. Their frontal and temporal lobe are not under the influence of any type of toxin or pollutant (Medical Neuroscience course, 2019).

These tendencies are defined by a variety of factors, not only air pollution. However, air pollution contributes to these traits making it more noticeable the difference between contaminated areas and less contaminated areas.

In conclusion, climate change plays a huge role in brain development, especially at in early age. Another important factor I would like to highlight related to the speech is how pollution not only affects our brain in an individual and relatively small aspect. A study published by Yale took this evidence even further regarding monetary impact, exposing that air pollution can affect the profit of the company. Garrett (2021), exposes how consumers spent significantly less – about 50 million dollars less – on days when ozone pollution was higher even by just 10%. (Garrett, 2021). For this reason, I do believe businesses should be more aware of the level of pollution in their areas and use this as an advantage. Doing predictions on the greenhouse gas levels, and air pollution concentration will take become a usual thing for business owners to do in order to increase their profitability.

References

Garrett, C. (2021, April 19). The Effects of Air Pollution on Business Performance. https://www.performancemagazine.org/air-pollution-business-performance/

Calderón-Garcidueñas, L., Calderón-Garcidueñas, A., Torres-Jardón, R., Avila-Ramírez, J., Kulesza, R., & Angiulli, A. (2015). Air pollution and your brain: What do you need to know right now. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 16(4), 329-345. doi:10.1017/S146342361400036X

Selkoe, D. J. (2001). Alzheimer's disease: genes, proteins, and therapy. Physiological reviews, 81(2), 741-766.

Payne, R. J. (2017). Global issues: Politics, economics, and culture. Pearson.