The worrying link between Alzheimer’s and pollution
When I go anywhere with my father these days, I first have to help him zip his coat and buckle his seat belt. Once a brilliant polymer chemist with over 30 patents to his name, this man who used to have a vast vocabulary now struggles to find simple words, saying “I want wet” because he can’t find the simple word drink.
My father has dementia. Two years ago, my husband, children and I rearranged our entire lives and moved my parents in with us so we can care for them.
Alzheimer’s, the main form of dementia, affects 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older. This number is expected to rise to 13 million people by 2060. 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Currently, over 11 million Americans like my family provide unpaid care for people with some form of dementia.
The exact cause of dementia is not yet known, but we may be contributing to it through pollution. Medical research shows at least an indirect link between exposure to particulate matter (or soot) in the air and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other forms of dementia. Inhaling soot can lead the cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease increases age-related decline in older people’s ability to think and remember.
Soot, as well as ozone and other pollutants are also all linked to asthma, allergies and autism. The National Survey of Children’s Health shows that more than 37% of children suffer from one of these diseases.
For example, a recent peer-reviewed study found that Pittsburgh-area children living near steel mills, power plants and other large sources of pollution had nearly triple the national rate of childhood asthma. Pregnant women and their babies are also at risk.
Soot is the leading cause of intrauterine inflammation, which is the leading cause of preterm birth. 1 in 9 pregnancies in the US result in preterm birth, with the rate increasing to 1 in 5 pregnancies in black communities. 35% of preterm births result in death.
Where does all of this soot and other pollution come from? It comes from our tailpipes, smokestacks, and our industries. In other words, from lighting fossil fuels on fire.
As a person of faith, I believe in what the Bible says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ( Jeremiah 29: 11). God wants all of his children to have a bright hope and a future. That doesn’t include dementia. It doesn’t include the pollution linked with dementia. It does include care for the environment, including the reduction of harmful pollution.
In my lifetime, we have come a long way in terms of clean air and water, thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But there is still much work to be done to defend the life of all of God’s children from poor air quality in the US. The American Lung Association “State of the Air Report 2022” states that more than 41% of Americans (over 136 million people) live in places with unhealthy levels of ozone or particulate pollution.
Air pollution is a silent killer here in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, the EPA recently announced a proposal to strengthen key national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution, also known as PM2.5, to better protect communities. (PM2.5 refers to particulate matter about 2.5 micrometers wide, which is about 3% the width of a human hair.)
While it’s certainly an improvement, the new soot standard still does not go far enough. It ignores the advice of EPA’s own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, the World Health Organization and the latest medical research that call for stronger standards. Following this advice could save nearly 20,000 additional lives each year, while also resulting in fewer cases of conditions like asthma, dementia, autism, and allergies.
Everyday, I take care of my parents and I worry. I worry about my own future and often wonder if I will someday be diagnosed with dementia as a result of pollution I am exposed to today. After watching my parents’ struggle, I can tell you that this is not a future anyone hopes for.
We don’t have to live this way. Stronger soot standards can help.