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Toxic air lowers children’s IQ and memory, affects their test scores and triggers neurological-behavioural problems such as anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and development delays, according to the study. The report estimates 17 million babies worldwide 12 million of them in South Asia live in areas that record pollution levels six times higher than the international safe limits of 20 microgram per cubic meter for PM10 and 10 microgram per cubic meter for PM2.5. Pollution hurts children’s brains through several mechanisms, with infants before their first birthday being the most vulnerable. Ultrafine particulates such as PM2.5 enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain. These damage the blood-brain barrier a thin membrane that protects the brain from toxic substances and cause neuro inflammation, which is linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases in elderly people, the Unicef report says.