INFLUENCIA ENTRE LA CONTAMINACIÓN QUÍMICA DEL AIRE Y LAS CAPACIDADES COGNITIVAS DE LOS NIÑOS EN EDAD ESCOLAR A NIVEL DE LIMA METROPOLITANA

INTRODUCTION. Air pollution of chemical nature is a daily problem, due to the constant chronic and prolonged exposure to external factors, such as vehicular congestion and the ex-istence of industrial zones, exceeding in many occasions the allowed pollution index, regulated by the environmental quality standards. The purpose of the study was to show the influence of the level of chemical air pollution on the cognitive abilities of schoolchildren. The most important air pollutants were evaluated through eight monitoring stations in Metropolitan Lima. These pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀). METHODS. The research is quantita-tive, non-experimental and ex post facto. The sample consisted of 350 students of both sexes, from 10 to 12 years of age; 47% of the students were girls and 53% were boys. The average age was 10.88 years and a standard deviation of 0.824, from the 6th grade of primary school in private schools, distributed in eight monitoring points in Metropolitan Lima. A neuropsycho-logical test known as the Test of Perception of Differences: CARAS-R was applied, where perceptual and attentional abilities were evaluated, validated by national and international scales. RESULTS. The PM₁₀ concentration presented a negative and significantly strong correlation with R =-0.98, with a 95% CI for perceptual and attentional capacities. CO and PM_2.5 had a moderate negative relationship with an average value of R =-0.72 (CI: 95%). NO₂, presented a weak and insignificant correlation, for perception and attention, with a correlation factor R = 0.44. DISCUSSION. School children aged 10 to 12 years in the 6th grade of primary school, chronically and prolonged exposed to chemical air pollution, experience lower cognitive capacity, both perceptual and attentional.