Air Pollution Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia, Studies Show

Breathing polluted air, particularly fine particulate air pollutants known as PM2.5, has been linked to a greater risk of dementia, according to a new analysis from Harvard University researchers. An increase of 2 micrograms per cubic meter of air in average annual exposure to PM2.5 results in a 17% increase in risk for developing dementia, according to the study published in The BMJ medical journal. The researchers also found smaller increases in risk from breathing nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide, pollutants that come from auto exhaust. The EPA has proposed lowering the ambient air quality standard for fine particle pollution from 12 micrograms per cubic meter to between 9 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter.