HEPA air purifiers may boost brain function after just one month

Adults aged 40 and older performed about 12% faster on a test of executive function after using a HEPA air purifier at home for one month. The findings suggest that cleaner indoor air could offer a simple way to help protect the brain from the effects of traffic-related pollution. HEPA air purifiers may boost brain function after just one month.

Com Using an in-home HEPA purifier for one month spurs a small but significant improvement in brain function in adults age 40 and older. That’s the result of a new study we co-authored in the journal Scientific Reports. HEPA purifiers – HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air – remove particulate matter from the air.

Exposure to particulate matter has been connected to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses as well as neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Environmental health researchers increasingly recommend that people use HEPA air purifiers in their homes to lower their exposure to particulate matter, but few studies have examined whether using them boosts mental function. We analyzed data from a study of 119 people ages 30 to 74 living in Somerville, Massachusetts.