Not only is there a correlation between smog-enveloped L.A. freeways and autistic babies, and a possible cause-and-effect between air pollution and death for us Southern Californians, but now researchers say dirty air might also trigger … brain damage?

Awesome.

Another reason to love the L.A. life.

A new research paper published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine says …

Chronic exposure to particulate air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older adults.

The exposure, according to the research, particularly affects women who have sustained “long-term exposure” to air pollution and smog.

Academics looked at 19,409 women in America ages 70 to 81. They concluded that “higher levels of long-term exposure” to different forms of particulate matter “were associated with significantly faster cognitive decline.”

Jean Ospital, health effects officer with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, told California Watch:

We keep learning about more adverse effects (from pollution) than we thought possible.

Wonderful.

So when granny who lives by the freeway loses it, don't let her blame the acid she took in the '60s.

For further reading: Black Lung Lofts: Many children being raised in L.A.'s hip, new freeway-adjacent housing are damaged for life.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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