Academic and Psychosocial Impact of Air Pollution on Children
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abstract
Early life exposure to air pollution is a pressing public health concern due to well-known respiratory effects and the increasing weight of evidence demonstrating the negative consequences on the developing brain. Air pollution is composed of aerosols and particles produced by vehicle emissions, energy production, and manufacturing and other combustion processes. Fine and ultrafine particles, which contain adsorbed metals and toxic compounds, have the ability to reach the brain to cause damage, as well as generate systemic oxidative stress. Collectively, this chapter highlights current epidemiological and mechanistic studies linking childhood air pollution exposure to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including intellectual, academic, neuropsychological, and behavioral functioning changes. In summary, the accumulating evidence suggests a causative relationship and regulations for prevention should be considered.
