Air pollution from traffic has been linked to severe forms of dementia.
Air pollution from traffic has been linked to dementia
Research carried out in Atlanta, Georgia has discovered that people with more exposure to traffic-related particulate matter air pollution were more likely to have high amounts of the amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brain.
The findings from Emory University add to the dangers already caused by traffic jams, including climate change and respiratory illnesses.
The experts set out specifically to investigate the effect of exposure to the particulate matter known as PM2.5 on the human brain and found that high levels raised the risk of Alzheimer's.
Anke Huels, the lead author of the study, said: "We found that donors who lived in areas with high concentrations of traffic-related air pollution exposure, in particular PM2.5 exposure, had higher levels of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology in their brain.
"In particular, we looked at... a score that is used to evaluate amyloid plaques in the brain, in autopsy samples, and we showed that donors who live in areas with higher levels of air pollution, and also higher levels of amyloid plaques in their brain."