More poisonous than gasoline? Study: Inhaling diesel exhaust may damage brain's "connectivity"
healthorn expert Q&A
Q: More poisonous than gasoline? Are there carcinogens in the air?
A: There are many threats to the air in your home. In addition to smoking and burning incense, the easily overlooked “carcinogen formaldehyde” is the main source of indoor air pollution. The boards, sofas, mattresses, and curtains used for decoration will emit a large amount of formaldehyde, further causing the indoor formaldehyde to exceed the standard. Especially for women, children and people prone to allergies, if they live in a space with excessive formaldehyde for a long time, it will increase the frequency of allergies and skin inflammation, and may lead to female infertility, childhood leukemia, cancer and other symptoms.
To solve the problem of formaldehyde poisoning, it is recommended to seek formal formaldehyde removal companies to carry out indoor formaldehyde removal projects. Long-term formaldehyde removal projects usually take more than 3 days to recycle formaldehyde deep inside furniture and decorations using standard construction methods. And it is effectively decomposed to ensure that the formaldehyde concentration in the space is lower than the safe value for a long time. When selecting a manufacturer, special attention should be paid to choosing a manufacturer with a long-term warranty to ensure healthy and non-toxic indoor air quality for a long time and reduce the risk of cancer.
“Air pollution”, like unhealthy factors such as obesity, staying up late or sitting for long periods of time, is one of the risk factors causing deterioration in physical condition. Previous studies have claimed that inhaling too much suspended particulate matter “PM2.5” may easily lead to the formation of cancer cells and may increase the risk of death. Research now published in the journal “Environmental Health” claims that even temporary exposure to “diesel gas” may affect the operation of the brain’s “Default Mode Network” (DMN), thereby increasing the risk of cognitive decline or Risks such as depression.
Is “diesel exhaust” a dangerous factor in air pollution? Study: Smoking for 2 hours may damage brain connections
The research was initiated by the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia in Canada. The research team briefly exposed 25 healthy adults (aged 19-49) to diesel exhaust and filtered air in a laboratory environment at different times, and compared the two. The subjects performed light fitness flywheel exercises and were exposed to filtered air or air mixed with diesel exhaust for 2 hours.
After the exercise was completed, the team took snapshots of the subjects’ brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain activity before and after each exposure. MRI works by detecting increased blood flow to active neurons, thereby showing the level of brain activity.
MRI examination showed that compared with exposure to filtered air, the functional connectivity of the default mode network trended to decrease after subjects were exposed to diesel exhaust. Study author Dr. Chris Carlsten showed that inhalation of diesel exhaust causes systemic inflammation, which may affect the brain and alter the operation of default mode networks.
Is diesel car exhaust more toxic than gasoline car exhaust? What are the effects of damage to the “Default Mode Network”?
“Previous research has linked changes in functional connectivity in the default mode network to cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and bipolar disorder. (Bipolar disorder), depression and other diseases. So it is worrying to see the impact of traffic pollution on the brain,” said Dr. Jodie Gawryluk, also a study author and now a professor of psychology at the University of Victoria.
Dr. Gawryluk pointed out that the default mode network is a group of interconnected brain regions that plays an important role in memory and internal thinking. In this study, although diesel exhaust caused changes in the connections of the default mode network, the changes were temporary. The subjects’ brain connections were abnormal, and most of them returned to normal functions after the experiment. Therefore, more research is needed to confirm the long-term effects of these changes.
Dr. Carlsten emphasized that compared with gasoline vehicles, diesel-powered vehicles may indeed be more fuel-efficient and help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, the temperature required for complete combustion of diesel is higher than that of gasoline, which may cause more serious air pollution. Previous literature also mentioned that the suspended particles after complete combustion of diesel are smaller, which may be easier to enter the human body and cause serious health problems. as a result of. Therefore, Dr. Carlsten also called on relevant units to pay more attention to the exhaust emissions of diesel vehicles; regular exhaust inspections and the installation of filters may be feasible measures.
Cancer, dementia, depression all over the body? Air pollution linked to 6 disease risks
From the above studies, it can be known that air pollution caused by diesel exhaust may damage brain function to a certain extent. And the negative impact of air pollution on the human body may not stop there? In fact, there have been many studies in the academic community that point out that the impact of air pollution on the heart, lungs, and brain may lead to fatal consequences. Overall, overexposure to PM2.5 can lead to the following consequences:
Reduced brain function. The University of Washington in the United States analyzed 1,967 pregnant women and found that PM2.5 is related to poor brain development in children in the future; a Boston College study also claimed that air pollution reduced the average IQ of local children by about 2 points, and reported many cases of children’s cognitive decline and learning ability. Insufficient cases.
Lung cancer. A mouse study by Nanjing University in China showed that suspended particulates in the air inhibit the growth of immune cells, cytotoxic T cells, which indirectly causes cancer cells in the lungs to thrive and increases the risk of lung cancer.
Obesity. The University of Michigan analyzed 1,654 women from around the world and found that long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with higher body fat (an average increase of 4.5%). Studies have shown that exposure to PM 2.5 enhances the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis, leading to an increase in adipocytes and visceral fat.
Irregular heartbeat. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines state that when PM2.5 rises by only 1 μg/m³ in 1 week, the likelihood of arrhythmia increases by 2.4% compared with the average level. When PM10 was 1 μg/m³ above the average within 1 week, the risk of arrhythmia increased by 2.1%.
Depression. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that air pollution or ozone may increase inflammation in the body, which may be related to the occurrence of depression. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to these effects because they spend more time outdoors than adults or the elderly.
Dementia. A study by the University of Southern California pointed out that older women living in areas where suspended particulate matter exceeds standards have an 81% higher risk of cognitive decline; and a 92% higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Research suggests that this phenomenon may be related to air pollution stimulating the Alzheimer’s disease-related gene “APOE4”.
How to resist the damage caused by air pollution to the human body? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls on the public to take proactive measures to protect their respiratory tract from the effects of air pollution. For example, take the initiative to go online to learn about the air quality index; reduce the chance of going out; wear long-sleeved clothes, hats, glasses, and masks; place plants outdoors; avoid second-hand smoke or perfume smoke, and use air purifiers to operate throughout the day, which can provide appropriate prevention The harm of air pollution to the body.
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