Musings on Pure Air

While air pollution’s negative impacts on the lungs and cardiovascular system are well-recognized, poor air quality also has adverse consequences on the brain and affects mental and cognitive health. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of the entire global population is exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution — meaning that the negative impacts of air pollution on human cognition are likely affecting us all.   Air pollution is known to create inflammatory responses within the body, and  chronic inflammation in the brain can damage neurons and the nervous system’s regulatory responses .  Animal research shows that air pollution can enter the brain and cause inflammation through a variety of pathways. This research states that chronic inflammation in animals can mimic symptoms like depression and bipolar disease in humans. Air pollution has been linked to a variety of serious mental and physical health problems in adults, including anxiety, depression, and n