Scientists find link between traffic pollution and teenage delinquency

Traffic pollution may be fuelling teenage delinquency, new research suggests.

US scientists found a link between exposure to higher levels of sooty particles from vehicle exhausts and bad behaviours, including theft, vandalism, arson and drug abuse. The study tracked 682 children in Greater Los Angeles from the age of nine until the age of 18 while their parents completed a "rule-breaking" check list.

At the same time, 25 air quality monitors were used to estimate concentrations of tiny toxic particles called PM2.5s outside each participant's home. Three-quarters of the children were found to be breathing in levels of the particles that exceeded the US government safety limit of 12 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

PM2.5s are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and small enough to enter the blood stream through the lungs. Lead researcher Dr Diana Younan, from the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, said: "These tiny, toxic particles creep into your body, affecting your lungs and your heart.

"Studies are beginning to show exposure to various air pollutants also causes inflammation in the brain.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/14/scientists-find-link-traffic-pollution-teenage-delinquency/

How would it affect their mental behaviour and why doesn't it affect adults too?

I wonder if they're also analysing those particles for their composition...

Toxic 'Heavy metals' such as lead, mercury and cadmium also have well-recognised affects on brain development, general health abd behaviour  (hence the regulated removal of lead from petrol and paints in many countries..).

So many health problems can have "multi causal" developments.

Didge wrote:Traffic pollution may be fuelling teenage delinquency, new research suggests.

US scientists found a link between exposure to higher levels of sooty particles from vehicle exhausts and bad behaviours, including theft, vandalism, arson and drug abuse. The study tracked 682 children in Greater Los Angeles from the age of nine until the age of 18 while their parents completed a "rule-breaking" check list.

At the same time, 25 air quality monitors were used to estimate concentrations of tiny toxic particles called PM2.5s outside each participant's home. Three-quarters of the children were found to be breathing in levels of the particles that exceeded the US government safety limit of 12 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

PM2.5s are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and small enough to enter the blood stream through the lungs. Lead researcher Dr Diana Younan, from the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, said: "These tiny, toxic particles creep into your body, affecting your lungs and your heart.

"Studies are beginning to show exposure to various air pollutants also causes inflammation in the brain.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/14/scientists-find-link-traffic-pollution-teenage-delinquency/

I think that people in California are a bit too crazy to be used to measure things like this.

Although, there is no doubt that lead in the water supply causes problems.

eddie wrote:How would it affect their mental behaviour and why doesn't it affect adults too?

it probably does effect adults, but maybe to a lesser extent. the effect on adults wasn't measured.

I think it also could have to do with housing density and socioeconomic state.
the highest pollution is generally found in cheaper high density areas.
which goes back to the established link between poverty and delinquency

eddie wrote:How would it affect their mental behaviour and why doesn't it affect adults too?

The prefrontal cortex of the brain doesn't begin to develop until puberty, so slightly younger in girls than boys, and doesn't finish developing until you are about 25.  It's the bit that gets you to try things to see if they are rewarding or not.  We used to discuss this back in the 60s and 70s.  Back then they thought that lead in the air was the worst problem.  Always been my pet theory that pollution is changing the mentality of the human race and not in a good way.

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

I wonder if they're also analysing those particles for their composition...

Toxic 'Heavy metals' such as lead, mercury and cadmium also have well-recognised affects on brain development, general health abd behaviour  (hence the regulated removal of lead from petrol and paints in many countries..).

So many health problems can have "multi causal" developments.

If I'm not mistaken, children's vaccinations have mercury in them.

eddie wrote:

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

I wonder if they're also analysing those particles for their composition...

Toxic 'Heavy metals' such as lead, mercury and cadmium also have well-recognised affects on brain development, general health abd behaviour  (hence the regulated removal of lead from petrol and paints in many countries..).

So many health problems can have "multi causal" developments.

If I'm not mistaken, children's vaccinations have mercury in them.

Vaccines have never contained methyl mercury, the toxic metal that can cause brain damage, says Offit, who helped develop a vaccine against rotavirus, which kills 450,000 children a year.

Before 2001, some vaccines contained thimerosal, a preservative made with ethyl mercury. But ethyl mercury, which is safe, is very different from methyl mercury, which is toxic.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/06/debunking-vaccine-myths/22886985/