A study of 34,000 people found a significant difference in memory quality between those who breathed the dirtiest and cleanest air

Living in an area with high air pollution worsens your memory to the same extent as ageing ten years, research suggests.

A study of 34,000 people across England found a significant difference in memory quality between those who breathed the dirtiest and cleanest air.

Andrew Oswald, of the University of Warwick, said: “The effect was strong and worrying. When it comes to remembering a string of words, a 50-year-old in polluted Chelsea performs like a 60-year-old who lives in relatively unpolluted Plymouth.”

The study looked at levels of nitrogen dioxide and a type of particulate pollution called PM10, which comes from exhaust fumes and other sources. The association with memory was evident once people reached their thirties.

The work was observational, which means that the