It is already known that the environment in which one lives is a very important factor that determines many aspects of health, especially in childhood. A Canadian study led by Matilda van den Bosch, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), has found evidence indicating that children who live in areas with a lot of air pollution and few green areas have a higher risk of Deficit Disorder. of Attention and Hyperactivity (ADHD).
Specifically, the research, published in the journal Environment International, found up to a 62% higher risk of developing ADHD if children live in areas with higher pollution with PM particles2.5 and less access to green places, such as parks. On the contrary, the probabilities of presenting hyperactivity were reduced by up to 50% in boys and girls who did breathe more or less clean air and whose houses were close to green areas.
These data were obtained thanks to a group of 37,000 boys and girls from Vancouver (Canada) in which the incidence of ADHD was analyzed –located according to the authors between 5% and 10% of the child and adolescent population– and in relation to the environmental environment of residence, such as noise levels and the amount of two air pollutants, NOtwo and PM2.5for a period of seven years.
Pollution alters the development of the infant brain
The final results showed that there were 1,217 registered cases of ADHD, equivalent to 4.2% of the participants. When relating all the data, it was found that the lowest risk of hyperactivity was in those children who lived in areas with more vegetation; so much so, that a 12% increase in the amount of vegetation to which children have access translated into a 10% drop in the risk of suffering from this disorder.
Every 2.1 µg increase in the amount of PM2.5 in the environment corresponded to an 11% increase in the odds of ADHD in children
In the case of air pollution, it was found that children who are exposed to more fine particles (PM2.5) had a higher risk of ADHD. Specifically, every 2.1 µg increase in the amount of PM2.5 in the environment corresponded to an 11% increase in the odds of ADHD in children.
“These associations are especially relevant because the exposures take place in the first years of life, a crucial period for brain development in which children are especially vulnerable. And what is more important, these exposures are modifiable, which means that the results should be taken into account for healthier urban planning”, explains Matilda van der Bosch.
These results show an environmental inequality, highlights the main author; In addition, they also found evidence that the association between PM2.5 and hyperactivity was attenuated when there were residential green spaces, and vice versa. This could imply that the beneficial effects of vegetation neutralize the harmful effects of air pollution.
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