Air Pollution Linked to Diminished IQ in Children

In the August 2009 publication of Pediatrics, the findings of research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the EPA and several private foundations, conducted at Columbia University, unveiled that there is possible correlation between increased air pollution and decreased IQ scores in children.

The study researched the effects of environmental pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which include chemicals released into the air from the burning of coal, diesel, oil and gas, or other organic substances such as tobacco. Hundreds of children born to mothers of varying races were followed from the time they were in utero to 5 years old, at which time they were given the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence test which provides full scale IQ scores. It was found that children that had high exposure to these pollutants had an average of 4.5 points lower that those that had less exposure, evidence that high levels of PAHs effects children's IQ scores adversely. Read more about this study.