Years of fine-particle pollution track with childhood ADHD rates across US counties

AI Summary

A study published in Scientific Reports reveals a strong association between long-term exposure to fine-particulate air pollution (PM 2.5) and increased rates of childhood ADHD across US counties. Despite overall air quality improvements documented by the EPA, lingering effects of past pollution still pose significant health risks.

Air quality across the country has improved greatly over the decades, as shown in Environmental Protection Agency reports. These improvements are good news overall, but lingering effects of past air pollution still raise health concerns for many people. UT researchers Alex Bentley and Larisa Ozeryansky co-authored a paper published in September in Scientific Reports. It explores the strong association between measures of fine-particulate air pollution (called PM 2.5) in the United States and the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children years later.