Environmental Pollution and the Brain

248 Pages·2021·69.66 MB·English

by  Sultan Ayoub Meo

Environmental Pollution and
the Brain

Environmental Pollution and
the Brain
Sultan Ayoub Meo
MBBS, PhD, M Med Ed, FRCP
Professor and Consultant in Clinical Physiology
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine,
King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
First edition published 2022
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ISBN: 978-1-032-06509-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-08003-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-21246-1 (ebk)
DOI: 10.1201/9781003212461
Typeset in Minion Pro
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
This book is dedicated to my Parents, Wife, and Children
For their continuous encouragement in my life

Contents
Preface .....................................................................................................................................xi
Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................xiii
About the Author .................................................................................................................xv
Chapter 1 Biology of the Brain ..........................................................................................1
1.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................1
1.2 Neurons ...................................................................................................1
1.2.1 Cell Body (Soma) .....................................................................2
1.2.2 Dendrites...................................................................................3
1.2.3 Axons .........................................................................................3
1.3 Types of Neurons ...................................................................................5
1.3.1 Sensory Neurons ......................................................................5
1.3.2 Interneurons .............................................................................6
1.3.3 Motor Neurons .........................................................................7
1.4 Synapses ..................................................................................................8
1.5 Receptors .................................................................................................9
1.6 CNS: The Brain and Spinal Cord .......................................................11
1.6.1 Cerebrum ................................................................................11
1.6.2 Cerebellum .............................................................................13
1.7 Brainstem ..............................................................................................15
1.7.1 Midbrain .................................................................................16
1.7.2 Pons .........................................................................................16
1.7.3 Medulla Oblongata ................................................................17
1.8 Spinal Cord ...........................................................................................17
1.9 Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) .....................................................19
1.10 Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) ..................................................20
1.10.1 Sympathetic Nervous System ...............................................21
1.10.2 Parasympathetic Nervous System ........................................21
1.10.3 The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) .....................................22
1.11 Memory .................................................................................................22
1.11.1 Short-Term Memory (STM) .................................................23
1.11.2 Intermediate-Term Memory ................................................23
1.11.3 Long-Term Memory ..............................................................24
1.11.4 Other Types of Memory ........................................................24
1.12 Human Intelligence .............................................................................24
Conclusion .......................................................................................................25
References ........................................................................................................25
vii
Environmental Pollution and the Brain
Chapter 2 Environmental Pollution ................................................................................31
2.1 Introduction .........................................................................................31
2.2 Sources of Pollution .............................................................................34
2.3 Air Pollutants........................................................................................34
2.4 Ozone Formation and Pollution ........................................................36
2.5 Top Ten Highly Polluted Cities in the World ...................................37
2.6 Pollution and Human Health .............................................................38
2.7 Pollution and Mortality .......................................................................38
2.8 Pollution and Economic Burden .......................................................41
2.9 Environmental Pollution Management ............................................41
Conclusion .......................................................................................................42
References ........................................................................................................43
Chapter 3 The Journey of Pollutants from Environment to Brain ..............................47
3.1 Introduction .........................................................................................47
3.2 Environmental Pollution Journey from Country to Country .......48
3.3 Particulate Matter ................................................................................49
3.4 Deposition of Particulate Matter .......................................................51
3.5 Translocation of Pollutants from Lungs to the Brain ......................52
3.6 Translocation of Pollutants from Nose to Brain ..............................53
3.7 Pollutants and Blood–Brain Barrier ..................................................53
3.8 Pollution and Brain..............................................................................56
Conclusions .....................................................................................................58
References ........................................................................................................59
Chapter 4 Environmental Pollution and Brain Development .....................................63
4.1 Introduction to Brain Development..................................................63
4.2 Embryology of Brain Development ..................................................64
4.2.1 Neurulation ............................................................................64
4.2.2 Neuronal Proliferation ..........................................................65
4.2.3 Neuronal Migration ...............................................................66
4.2.4 Neuronal Differentiation ......................................................67
4.2.5 Synaptogenesis .......................................................................67
4.2.6 Myelination .............................................................................68
4.3 Fundamental Features of the Brain ...................................................68
4.4 Brain Development in Early Life .......................................................69
4.5 Effect of Environmental Pollution on Brain Development ............70
4.6 Vulnerability of Children to Environmental Pollution ...................74
4.7 Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field
Radiation on the Brain ........................................................................76
4.7.1 Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Radiation
and the Skull ...........................................................................76
4.8 Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Radiation and the Brain ........77
Conclusion .......................................................................................................79
References ........................................................................................................79
Chapter 5 Biology of Memory and Electromagnetic Field Radiation ........................87
5.1 Biology of Memory: Introduction .....................................................87
5.2 Historical Background ........................................................................87
viii
Contents
5.3 Brain and Memory ..............................................................................91
5.4 Sensory Memory ..................................................................................93
5.5 Short-Term Memory ...........................................................................93
5.6 Working Memory ................................................................................94
5.7 Long-Term Memory ............................................................................95
5.7.1 Declarative (Explicit) Memory ............................................95
5.7.2 Procedural (Implicit) Memory .............................................96
5.8 Memory Encoding ...............................................................................97
5.9 Memory Consolidation .......................................................................97
5.10 Memory Storage ...................................................................................98
5.11 Memory Recall and Retrieval .............................................................99
5.12 Curiosity-Driven Memory................................................................100
5.13 Effect of Electromagnetic Field Radiation on Memory ................101
Conclusion .....................................................................................................104
References ......................................................................................................105
Chapter 6 Electromagnetic Field Radiation and Autism Spectrum Disorder ........113
6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................113
6.2 Prevalence of ASD .............................................................................113
6.3 Clinical Characteristics of ASDs ......................................................116
6.4 Environmental Pollution and ASD ..................................................117
6.5 Electromagnetic Field Radiation and ASD ....................................119
6.6 Mechanism: RF-EMFR and ASD .....................................................121
6.7 RF-EMFR, Male Sperm Cell Biology, and ASD .............................122
6.8 RF-EMFR: Pregnancy and Autism ..................................................123
Conclusion .....................................................................................................124
References ......................................................................................................125
Chapter 7 E lectromagnetic Field Radiation: A Risk to Develop Brain Cancer ............129
7.1 Electromagnetic Field Radiation (EMFR) ......................................129
7.1.1 Electromagnetic Field (EMF) .............................................129
7.1.2 Natural Sources of Electromagnetic Field Radiation ..........130
7.1.3 Human-Made Sources of Electromagnetic Field
Radiation ...............................................................................130
7.2 Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Field Radiation ..........132
7.3 Mobile Phones: Modern Technology of Modern Era ...................132
7.3.1 Worldwide Mobile Phone Users ........................................133
7.3.2 Radiation Generated from Mobile Phones .......................134
7.3.3 Mobile Phone and RF-EMFR .............................................134
7.4 RF-EMFR and Neurological Manifestations ..................................135
7.5 Prevalence of Brain Cancer ..............................................................136
7.6 RF-EMFR and Brain Cancer ............................................................138
7.6.1 Animal Model Studies on RF-EMFR and
Neuronal Cell Deaths and Brain Cancer ..........................139
7.6.2 Human Model Studies on RF-EMFR and
Brain Cancer .........................................................................141
7.6.3 Meta-Analysis and Systematic Studies on RF-EMFR
and Brain Cancer .................................................................143
ix