{"id":12774,"date":"2025-05-27T14:32:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T12:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.gsa-messgeraete.de\/particulate-matter-risk-for-cognitive-performance-and-dementia\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T11:46:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T10:46:02","slug":"particulate-matter-risk-for-cognitive-performance-and-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.gsa-messgeraete.de\/en\/particulate-matter-risk-for-cognitive-performance-and-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"Particulate matter – risk for cognitive performance and dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It is well known that particulate matter<\/em> can cause respiratory diseases<\/em> in particular and place a heavy burden on the cardiovascular system<\/em>. According to the latest studies, fine dust particles can even reach the brain, just like exhaust fumes. This can impair mental performance <\/em>in the short term. It is also suspected that these tiny particles can cause serious brain diseases<\/em> such as dementia in the long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n


Particulate matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Particulate matter<\/a> (PM10) refers to dust with a particle size of less than ten<\/em> micrometers<\/em>. Particularly (ultra) fine particles <\/em>with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5)<\/em> are dangerous to health. They can get into the finest branches of the lung tissue and even into the lymph- and bloodstream. Other substances can also accumulate on them and their chemical compounds can be carcinogenic. These pollutants are mainly produced by exhaust fumes<\/em> from road traffic from combustion engines, heating systems<\/a>, coal-fired power plants and industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


In recent years, research has been carried out into the extent to which these tiny particles also impair the brain’s ability to think and can also trigger brain diseases. If these negative consequences can be proven in further studies, the particles will be even more dangerous to health than previously assumed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


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German-Dutch study on mental performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research teams from the University of Rostock<\/em> (Benjamin Aretz and Prof. Gabriele Doblhammer) and the University of Groningen, together with the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), have conducted a long-term study<\/em> in the Netherlands on air pollution caused by particulate matter. A special focus of the study was the question of whether even low levels of exposure to ultrafine particulate matter<\/em> can impair brain performance<\/em>. Their study was one of the few research projects in which the effects of particulate matter on mental performance could be proven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Long-term study with 50,000 people in the Netherlands<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The long-term study by the German-Dutch team analyzed data from around 50,000 adults from three northern provinces in the Netherlands<\/em> with generally very low levels of air pollution. During the study, which lasted around 10 years, the researchers analyzed the lung function and mental capacity of the participants. They also correlated these findings with their gender and age, previous illnesses and income. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


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Study result of the German-Dutch research team<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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The results of the joint research study confirmed the assumption that particulate matter<\/em> can not only be absorbed into the human body via the lungs <\/em>and olfactory nerves<\/em>, but can also enter the central nervous system<\/strong> via the bloodstream<\/strong>. This even crosses the blood-brain barrier<\/em>, which should protect the brain, so that particulate matter can greatly reduce mental performance<\/strong>. Ultra-fine dust<\/em> of less than 0.01 micrometers can penetrate from the lungs into the blood and central nervous system, leading to inflammation, which is a potential risk for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the Dutch areas of the long-term study,<\/em> the average fine dust concentration of 15 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air<\/em> was still well below the European limit values of 25 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air. It has been proven that ten micrograms of PM2.5 more of fine particles<\/em>, i.e. a deterioration in the air<\/em> with fine dust, can already cause a 20 percent slower processing of the brain<\/em> as a measure of performance. Ultra-fine dust particles <\/strong>of less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter can thus severely impair the ability to think<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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Reduction in mental performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The air polluted with particulate matter<\/em> leads to reduced mental performance<\/em>. This can lead to short-term or long-term problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These health complaints<\/strong> include in particular:<\/p>\n\n\n\n