Air pollution has damaging effects on human cognitive ability, according to new research published in the journal Psychological and Cognitive Science.

Air pollution is a combination of fine particles and harmful ozone gas released by residential, commercial, and industrial combustion of coal and other fossil fuels.

According to a 2018 report from the Health Effects Institute, nearly 95% of the world's population currently lives in areas with air pollution that exceeds global air quality guidelines.

India, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all suffer from extreme amounts of air pollution and the burden of this pollution has already been shown to have significant effects on human health.

Research has shown that people who live in areas with polluted air are more likely to die from heart and lung disease, strokes and lung cancer compared with people who live in less polluted areas.

Studies have previously shown the effect that air pollution has on the brains of children and young adults, with inflammation of the brain tissue and disruption of the blood-brain barrier both being consequences of long-term polluted air exposure.

However, the Psychological and Cognitive Science article is the first to look at these effects across an entire population.