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Polluting the Brain
25 April 2015

Polluting the Brain

You might not have heard of them, but you’ve inhaled them: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chemicals churned out by cars, burning coal, cigarettes, and charred foods. Now, researchers have found that prenatal exposure to PAHs is strongly correlated with brain abnormalities in children. They measured exposure during pregnancy for 40 babies and followed up with MRI scans of the brains of those children aged seven to nine. Their results revealed an association between prenatal PAH exposure and reductions in white matter – which facilitates communication between brain regions – on the surface of the left hemisphere. The image shows disturbance to white matter (purple) in the brain of a child heavily exposed to PAHs during pregnancy. This reduction is associated with slower information processing and increased incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It was a small study but the findings raise concerns about the effects of airborne pollutants on brain development.

Written by Daniel Cossins

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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