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The Conversation
Nicholas Pellegrino, Research Associate in Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut

HEPA air purifiers may boost brain power in adults over 40 – new research

Air pollution can negatively affect the brain. Jomkwan/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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.

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