Neurobehavioral Consequences of Traffic-Related Air Pollution

Abstract

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is a major contributor to global air pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that air pollution due to gasoline and diesel emissions from internal combustion engines of automobiles, trucks, locomotives, and ships leads to 800,000 premature deaths annually due to pulmonary, cardiovascular, and neurological complications. It has been observed that individuals living and working in areas of heavy vehicle traffic have high susceptibility to anxiety, depression, and cognitive deficits. Information regarding the mechanisms that potentially lead to detrimental mental health effects of TRAP is gradually increasing. Several studies have suggested that TRAP is associated with adverse effects in the central nervous system (CNS), primarily due to increase in oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Animal studies have provided further useful insights on the deleterious effects of vehicle exhaust emissions (VEEs). The mechanistic basis for these effects is unclear, although gasoline and diesel exhaust-induced neurotoxicity seems the most plausible cause. Several important points emerge from these studies. First, TRAP leads to neurotoxicity. Second, TRAP alters neurobehavioral function. Exactly how that happens remains unclear. This review article will discuss current state of the literature on this subject and potential leads that have surfaced from the preclinical work.

Major air pollutants seasonal variation analysis and long-range transport of PM10 in an urban environment with specific climate condition in Transylvania (Romania)

“…Regarding the temperature correlation, one reason could be the effect of solar heating, as long as during daytime the dispersion of aerosols is faster. Moreover, the impact of traffic on air pollution, which is a major contributor to local, regional, and global air pollution (Colvile et al 2001 ; Salvi and Salim 2019 ) is well known. For example, Park and colleagues (Park et al 2015 ) found that CO concentration is greatly affected by human activities, especially by the number of cars.…”

Association of Air Pollution Exposure in Childhood and Adolescence With Psychopathology at the Transition to Adulthood

“… 2 , 3 Air pollution exposure has consequently been implicated in diverse CNS damage, including vascular damage, chronic neuroinflammation, glial-cell dysregulation, and, in children, global impairments to brain structural integrity, neuron proliferation, and signaling cascades. 4 , 5 , 6 …”

Systematic review of preclinical studies on the neutrophil-mediated immune response to air pollutants, 1980–2020

“…According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 90% of people living in urban areas are exposed to air quality levels that exceed the accepted limits for PM 2.5 and PM 10 (10 or 20 μg/m 3 , respectively) [68]. This exposure has been associated with an increase in cardiovascular and respiratory adverse effects [69] and has contributed to decreased cognitive functions, depressive symptoms, and neurodegenerative pathologies [70]. Also, it has generated an economic impact for the countries, represented by an increase in mortality and morbidity, cost overruns for the care of related health events, loss of working hours, school and work absenteeism due to illness or the need to care for a sick person, a decrease in family income and a reduction in productivity [69,71].…”