Scientists at Harvard University have found a significant link between air pollution and an increased risk of neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other types of deadly dementia. This is reported in an article published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Researchers looked at data on American hospital admissions for neurological health from 2006 to 2017 and compared them with estimates of the concentration of PM2.5 particles in urban air at a place of residence. Taking into account external factors such as socioeconomic status, the researchers found that for every five micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air, there is a 13 percent increase in the risk of hospitalization due to Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia.
This risk remained elevated even below the supposedly safe PM2.5 exposure levels, which, according to US EPA standards, average 12 micrograms per cubic meter per year or less.
The highest risk of admission to hospital with Parkinson's was found among older adults in the northeastern United States, while Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia were most common among older adults in the Midwest.
