Living in an area with high air pollution worsens your memory to the same extent as ageing ten years, research suggests.
A study of 34 000 people across England found a significant difference in memory quality between those who breathed the dirtiest and cleanest air.
Andrew Oswald, of the University of Warwick, said: “The effect was strong and worrying. When it comes to remembering a string of words, a 50-year-old in polluted Chelsea performs like a 60-year-old who lives in relatively unpolluted Plymouth.”
The study looked at levels of nitrogen dioxide and a type of particulate pollution called PM10, which comes from exhaust fumes and other sources. The association with memory was evident once people reached their thirties.
