For those who live near highways and are nearing the big four-oh, listen up.
A new study from the University of Connecticut and Tufts University has found that adults over 40 who live near highways completed a cognitive task-switching test 12% faster after one month of using a quality air purifier.
The research study found that tiny pollution particles that drift indoors from nearby highways may affect more than just our breathing. They may alter our thinking, too.
The results support growing evidence that air pollution takes more of a toll on our bodies than we knew.
The researchers recruited Massachusetts residents living within 650 feet of highways — close enough that traffic pollutants regularly seeped inside.
Participants were healthy nonsmokers, ages 30 and older.
Each household received two air purifiers, one for the living room and another for the bedroom. Participants spent one month using real HEPA machines and another month with fake ones. They were not told about the difference.
Before and after each monitoring period, a researcher tested participants. The first section asked test-takers to connect numbered dots in order as fast as possible, testing visual memory and hand speed. The second part was harder, alternating between numbers and letters in sequence.
In a surprise turn, the average time for those 40 and older to complete the harder part of the test was 54 seconds after using the HEPA filters, compared with 61.4 seconds after using the fake ones.
There was no significant speed difference for those under 40.
Researchers say the finding raises many questions. In the meantime, an air filter might improve more than just air quality.
"Despite the strength of our trial design, there is a need for further research that employs methods with strong causal inference of short-term exposure to air particulates and cognitive outcomes, especially among individuals who have cognitive impairment," the study's authors wrote.
