Car pollution can damage brain

WASHINGTON: Being exposed to highway pollution can cause brain damage in mice akin to memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, American researchers said.

Scientists recreated the airborne pollutants that come from the burning of fossil fuels andtheweathering ofcar parts and pavement, and exposed mice to the harsh air for 15 hours per week over 10 weeks.

Thetiny air particleswere "roughly one-thousandth the width of a human hair , and too small for car filtration systems to trap," but exerted massive damage on the brains of the exposed mice , said the study . "You can't see them , but they are inhaled and have an effect on brain neurons that raises the possibility of long-term brain health consequences of freeway air ," said senior author Caleb Finch of the University of Southern California .

Scientists found the exposure resulted in "significant damage" to neurons involved in learning and memory , and they detected "signs of inflammation associatedwith premature aging and Alzheimer's disease ."

More researchis necessary to determine if the same effects could be seen in humans . "Of course this leads to the question , 'How can we protect urban dwellers from this type of toxicity ?' And that's a huge unknown ," Finchsaid . AFP