The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance | Zendy

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The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance

Author(s) -

Xin Zhang,

Xi Chen,

Xiaobo Zhang

Publication year - 2018

Publication title -

proceedings of the national academy of sciences

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011

H-Index - 771

eISSN - 1091-6490

pISSN - 0027-8424

DOI - 10.1073/pnas.1809474115

Subject(s) - air pollution , pollution , environmental health , cognition , environmental science , environmental planning , psychology , medicine , chemistry , neuroscience , ecology , organic chemistry , biology

This paper examines the effect of both cumulative and transitory exposures to air pollution for the same individuals over time on cognitive performance by matching a nationally representative longitudinal survey and air quality data in China according to the exact time and geographic locations of the cognitive tests. We find that long-term exposure to air pollution impedes cognitive performance in verbal and math tests. We provide evidence that the effect of air pollution on verbal tests becomes more pronounced as people age, especially for men and the less educated. The damage on the aging brain by air pollution likely imposes substantial health and economic costs, considering that cognitive functioning is critical for the elderly for both running daily errands and making high-stake decisions.

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