Campaigners have urged the government to adopt the WHO’s tougher air quality standardsThe difference in air quality between suburbs and villages is associated with a higher likelihood of dementia, a study has suggested. The research focused on a type of airborne pollution known as PM2.5, which consists of particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres. SponsoredFor every extra microgram of PM2.5 per cubic metre, the risk of dementia increased by about 16 per cent. In the UK that could be the difference between living in a city suburb and a village. In the city of Cambridge, for instance, the background rate of PM2.5 is about 10.5 micrograms, while in the largely rural local authority of South Cambridgeshire, it is about 9.9 micrograms, according to the Taskforce for Lung Health.

Source: The Times August 03, 2021 23:02 UTC