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Gettyimages.ru Thomas Tolstrup
A disturbing study has found that pollution from open fires inside a home can dramatically increase the risk of developing dementia.
Lancaster University teamed up with experts from Trinity College Dublin to test the cognitive abilities of 7,000 people, and they found that those who spent a lot of time near burning wood, coal fires and peat moss inside had less memory and memory capacity.
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Open fires emit pollution particles called PM2.5. It is so small that it cannot filter through the nose and lungs.
Professor Barbara Maher, head of research at Lancaster University, said: “People tend to sit by these hot fires with closed doors and windows.
And we’ve found that it can be just as dangerous as sitting on the side of a busy road in terms of pollution.
The researchers tested the cognitive abilities of 7,000 people who spent long periods near open fires and who showed additional cognitive decline, including word recall and verbal fluency.
The results revealed that open fires fueled by peatlands emit higher concentrations of particles than charcoal and wood fires.
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Prof Maher added: “We know that exposure to indoor air pollution affects the health of the respiratory system, heart and blood vessels. But so far, little is known about how it affects cognitive function in the elderly. “
Dr Vincent O’Sullivan, Co-Principal Investigator, said: ‘We have found that those who use open fires have less cognitive skills, such as remembering words and shouting words, and the UK government has proposed to ‘ban the burning of waste wood in private homes, and this will be implemented very soon. “It’s kind of controversial because you can say I’m home and I can do whatever I want. But it does come with negative health effects, like the ones we’ve found, so there’s an argument to get rid of it gradually.
Experts stressed that reducing dementia remains a priority for global health systems.
Source: Express
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