The role of urban air quality on educational outcomes and work placed productivity

Globally, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor for human health. It is especially important in urban areas where multiple sources of air pollution are present, and air quality is typically worse. Air pollution is a known threat to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and ranked as a Group 1 carcinogen. However, emerging evidence provides links between air pollution exposure and human cognitive potential, with both short- and long-term effects. Recent research demonstrates a clear and measurable link between exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution and reduced cognitive function [1], with pronounced implications for educational outcomes and work placed productivity. Longer term cognitive impacts include dementia and Alzheimer’s’ disease.

In this presentation, the role and implications of air pollution impacts upon neurological health will be explored, highlighting the scale of the issue, differences in vulnerability, and whether current air pollution regulation is adequate to protect cognitive health in urban areas. Vulnerability will be investigated through the lenses of exposure, susceptibility and adaptive capacity. The broader societal implications and possible mitigations, with a focus on urban environments, will also be explored.

[1] Faherty et al. (2025) Acute particulate matter exposure diminishes executive cognitive functioning after four hours regardless of inhalation pathway. Nature Communications, 16(1), p.1339. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56508-3