ADVERTISEMENTAccording to a recent study, individuals who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution are more likely to develop a specific type of brain tumour known as meningioma, which rarely causes cancer but can lead to other health problems.
Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumours and typically grow slowly, taking years to be detected. They originate from the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Rarely cancerous, these tumours can cause disabilities by affecting the nearby brain tissues, nerves, or vessels.
The study tracked almost four million adults in Denmark over a 21-year period, during which about 16,600 individuals developed central nervous system tumours, including approximately 4,600 cases of meningioma.
Researchers estimated the participants’ exposure to various types of air pollution, such as traffic emissions and diesel pollution, over a decade.
Higher levels of air pollution exposure were associated with an increased risk of developing meningioma, the analysis revealed. However, there was no strong connection between air pollution and more aggressive brain tumours like gliomas.
The most significant risks were linked to ultrafine particles from exhaust, smoke, and other emissions.
While the study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between air pollution and meningioma, it supports the growing evidence that air pollution has negative impacts on human health. Other studies have shown that ultrafine particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and potentially harm brain tissue.
Ulla Hvidtfeldt, one of the study’s authors and a senior scientist at the Danish Cancer Institute, stated that while research on the health effects of ultrafine particles is still in its early stage, these findings suggest a possible link between exposure to traffic-related ultrafine particles and the development of meningioma.
Hvidtfeldt added that the study highlights the potential of air pollution to affect the brain, not just the heart and lungs.
The study was published in the medical journal Neurology, which is associated with the American Academy of Neurology.
The findings also provide new insights into meningiomas, as their exact cause is not yet fully understood. Other known risk factors include radiation, particularly during childhood, and a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis type 2.
Some limitations of the study include estimating air pollution exposure based on the outdoor air quality of individuals’ neighbourhoods, without considering possible exposure to polluted air at work or accounting for the amount of time spent indoors.
More research is needed to confirm these results. However, if improving air quality can help reduce the risk of brain tumours, it could have a significant impact on public health, as Hvidtfeldt stated.
