Pollution Can Damage Your Brain!    [15-07-2011] If you are living in a big city, you may feel that the air is not very clean. In big cities, there are too many cars and factories, which make the air dirty. Air pollution is a serious problem in many cities. It is very bad for our environment. In fact, polluted air is very bad for our health, too. It may cause problems in the heart and lungs. According to a new study, it can also affect the brain. Researchers at Ohio State University found that dirty air can damage the brain. They also said that long-term exposure to air pollution could even lead to depression and memory problems. They tested mice to see the effects of dirty air. This is one of the first studies to look at air pollution’s effect on the brain. “We found in our study that the long-term dirty air could cause actual physical changes to the brain, which in turn had negative effects,” said a doctoral student Laura Fonken, who led the study. “The results suggest prolonged exposure to polluted air can have visible, negative effects on the brain, which can lead to a variety of health problems. “This could have important implications for people who live and work in polluted urban areas around the world.” Ms. Fonken and her colleagues at Ohio State University exposed mice to either filtered air of polluted air 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for 5 months, which is almost half their lifespan. Mice normally live about 10 months. The researchers found that the polluted air and tiny particles of dust can reach deep areas of the body’s organs. Previous studies also found that fine air particulate matter caused many health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. “The more we learn about the health effects of prolonged exposure to air pollution, the more reasons there are to be concerned. “This study adds more evidence of air pollution’s negative effects on health,” said a co-author, Professor Randy Nelson. “Dirty air can bring changes in the brain and these types of changes are linked to decreased learning and memory abilities.” Ms. Fonken further explained that the brain is particularly sensitive to damage caused by inflammation. “We suspect that breathing polluted air can damage the central nervous system,” she said.     출처: 어린이 영자신문 키즈타임즈 (www.kidstimes.net)