Researchers at Columbia University have linked exposure to pollutants in the womb to mental impacts in children later in life. “Recent studies show that breathing street-level fumes for just 30 minutes can intensify electrical activity in brain regions responsible for behavior, personality and decision-making, changes that are suggestive of stress, scientists in the Netherlands recently discovered.” (1) Some other startling facts include:- Children in areas affected by high levels of emissions, on average, scored more poorly on intelligence tests and were more prone to depression, anxiety and attention problems than children growing up in cleaner air
- Older men and women long exposed to higher levels of traffic-related particles and ozone had memory and reasoning problems that effectively added five years to their mental age
- Children born to mothers living within 1,000 feet of a major road or freeway in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Sacramento were twice as likely to have autism, independent of gender, ethnicity and education level, as well as maternal age, exposure to tobacco smoke or other factors
- In New Jersey, premature births, a risk factor for cognitive delays, in areas around highway toll plazas dropped 10.8% after the introduction of E-ZPass, which eased traffic congestion and reduced exhaust fumes, according to reports published in scientific journals this year and in 2009
These findings are great incentives to continue to reduce idling whenever possible. Also, we should see this as an incentive to decrease traffic congestion as city planners develop new roads and highways.(1) Hotz, Robert Lee. (Nov 8, 2011). The Hidden Tolls of Traffic Jams. The Wall Street Journal. Retrevide from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203733504577024000381790904.html?KEYWORDS=Scientists+increasingly+link+vehicle+exhaust+with+brain-cell+damage+higher+rateKEYWORDS%3DScientists+increasingly+link+vehicle+exhaust+with+brain-cell+damage+higher+rate
No comments:
Post a Comment