The air you breathe each day could be harming your brain, a recent study suggests. 

The report, published Monday in The Lancet Planetary Health, found air pollution was significantly associated with an increased risk of hospital admissions for several neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.

In the 17-year-long study of more than 63 million older U.S. adults on Medicare, scientists specifically looked at fine pollution particles called particulate matter of 2.5 microns in diameter or less. 

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Xiao Wu, co-lead author of the study and a doctoral student in biostatistics at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said these particles come from construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks and fires.