Air Pollution Linked to ADHD

A new study in India suggests a link between poor air quality and a higher incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

India's Central Pollution Control Board has just released findings from a study of that country's air quality that suggests smog and haze may cause more than respiratory disorders and hypertension.

The study followed more than 23,000 children and adults over 10 years and found that air toxins in urban environments caused far more health problems among city dwellers than it did among their rural countrymen. The researchers also found that urban children from medium and low-income families had a higher incidence of attention deficit disorder (ADHD) than did wealthy children or those living in the country.

Though pollution is not an obvious link here, the study results make for an interesting read on the web site for Down to Earth magazine.