Air Pollution May Be Making Us Less Intelligent

Evidence mounts that nanoscale particulates may be damaging our brains

Long-term exposure to air pollution was linked to cognitive decline in elderly people. Tao55/ Shutterstock

We all know air pollution bad for our lungs and heart, but it could also be making us less intelligent.

A recent study of elderly people living in China f0und long-term exposure to air pollution may hinder cognitive performance, things like our ability to pay attention, to recall past knowledge and generate new information, as measured in verbal and math tests.