Abstract
This review summarises the extant literature investigating the relation between traffic-related air pollution levels in and around schools and executive functioning in primary-school-aged children. An electronic search was conducted using Web of Science, Scopus, and Education Literature Datasets databases (February 2020). Review articles were also searched, and forwards and backwards searches of identified studies were performed. Included papers were assessed for quality. We included 9 separate studies (published in 13 papers). Findings suggest that indoor and outdoor particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) negatively influences executive function and academic achievement and that indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) adversely affects working memory. Evidence for the effects of particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) is limited but suggests potential wide-ranging negative effects on attention, reasoning, and academic test scores. Air pollution in and around schools influences executive function and appears to impede the developmental trajectory of working memory. Further research is required to establish the extent of these effects, reproducibility, consequences for future attainment, and place within the wider context of cognitive development.
Highlights
Accepted: 27 December 2021Air pollution affects respiratory and cardiovascular systems; it has been shown to have significant effects on the central nervous system [1,2]
IQR increases in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): Inattentiveness (β = 4.44; 95% CI: 0.48, 8.40)
This review provides an overview of the research that has been carried out to investigate the association between air pollution in and around schools and executive function or academic achievement in children
Summary
Air pollution affects respiratory and cardiovascular systems; it has been shown to have significant effects on the central nervous system [1,2]. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data demonstrate that air pollution is associated with damage to the prefrontal cortex and altered neurodevelopment in a variety of areas in children [3]. Neurological effects of air pollution provide a biologically plausible route to disruption of cognitive function, and research into the effects of air pollution on neuropsychological and cognitive outcomes throughout the life course is accumulating [4]. We review the evidence investigating the relation between air pollution in and around schools and children’s cognitive and academic outcomes. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
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