Air Filters In The Home May Prevent Some Negative Effects Of Air Pollution On The Brain Development Of Children
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ninety-nine percent of the population is breathing in air that contains high levels of pollutants.
Moreover, 3.2 million people die every year due to indoor air pollution, while 4.2 million people die due to outdoor air pollution.
In response to growing research around the health impacts of inhaling polluted air, researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada recently studied the benefits of using indoor air filters.
Particularly how using these filters during pregnancy might prevent any adverse brain development due to air pollution exposure.
The study began in 2014 and included five hundred and forty pregnant women from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia– one of the top-ranked cities for worst air quality in the world.
Each woman was under eighteen weeks pregnant, did not smoke, and had not previously used air filtration devices in the home.
The researchers first randomly assigned each woman to either the air filter or control groups.
Women in the air filter group were provided with one to two HEPA filter air cleaners and were told to continuously run the filters throughout their entire pregnancy.
Then, following the birth of their children, all of the air filters were removed.
Jacob Lund – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
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Finally, once all of the children turned four years old, the researchers tested their full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) using the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence.
The tests revealed that the children who were exposed to air filters while in utero scored 2.8 points higher with their FSIQ.
“These results, combined with evidence from previous studies, strongly implicate air pollution as a threat to brain development,” said Ryan Allen, a professor of environmental health at the university.
But, while the air filters proved somewhat successful in combatting air pollution’s developmental effects, Allen believes they are not enough.
“Air pollution is everywhere, and it is preventing children from reaching their full potential. Air cleaners may provide some protection. But, ultimately, the only way to protect all children is to reduce emissions,” Allen explained.
To read the study’s complete findings published in Environmental Health Perspectives, visit the link here.
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