The Cognitive deveLopment in the Urban Environment study.
Young people are increasingly exposed to air pollution and noise in an urban environment, and we already know these ‘exposures’ (mainly arising from transport and industry) are bad for our health, animals, and the environment. However, their psychological effects are not yet fully understood!
CLUE is a sub-study of SCAMP investigating whether exposure to air pollution and noise influences adolescent cognition and mental health. 200 SCAMP participants took part in an in-depth ‘personal monitoring’ study where their exposure to pollution, noise, and geographical locations as measured for 48 hours. We also collected biological samples (saliva and urine) to look at ‘biomarkers’ of exposure to air pollution and noise; these are signs in the body that it has been exposed to certain influences. In this case, we are looking for microparticles of tyre-wear and pollutants, and indicators of stress, inflammation, and neuronal (brain cell) damage.
Based on measurements made in the personal monitoring study and other information about where people live and spend their time, scientists from Imperial College London and Leicester University have ‘modelled’ (or predicted) how much each individual in the SCAMP study will have been exposed to from year 7 to year 11. Scientists are also looking for these ‘biomarkers’ of exposure in biological samples.