Air pollution affects people’s ability to interpret emotions or focus on tasks, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The authors warn that even brief exposure to high concentrations of air pollution can hinder a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner.
Worldwide, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor affecting human health. The impact of poor air quality on cardiovascular and respiratory systems is widely known, with links to neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
For this study, researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester exposed participants to either high levels of air pollution (with candle smoke) or clean air and then tested their cognitive abilities before and four hours after exposure. The tests measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.
The results revealed that attention and emotion recognition were significantly worse after exposure to air pollution. The authors suggested that inflammation triggered by pollution may cause these problems. Not all cognitive functions were affected, which means that some brain functions may be more resilient to short-term pollution exposure.
“Our study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities, such as doing the weekly supermarket shop,” said Dr Thomas Faherty from the University of Birmingham.
“Poor air quality undermines intellectual development and worker productivity, with significant societal and economic implications in a high-tech world reliant on cognitive excellence,” added Professor Francis Pope, also from the University of Birmingham. “Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas.”
The team agrees that further research is needed to understand the specific pathways through which air pollution alters cognitive functions, especially on vulnerable populations like children and older adults. “This study shows the importance of understanding the impacts of air pollution on cognitive function and the need to study the influences of different sources of pollution on brain health in vulnerable older members of society,” said Co-author Professor Gordon McFiggans, from the University of Manchester.
Faherty T, Raymond JE, McFiggans G, Pope FD. Acute particulate matter exposure diminishes executive cognitive functioning after four hours regardless of inhalation pathway. Nat Commun. 2025 Feb 6;16(1):1339. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56508-3.