You’ve probably heard all the typical ways to keep your brain healthy, for example, learning a new skill or completing a puzzle. But you may not know that clean air helps keep your mind sharp too. In fact, using a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter may combat the effects of indoor pollution and help improve cognition, according to an April 2026 study published in the journal Scientific Reports1. Should you add one to your shopping cart? Read on to learn what experts think.

What to Know About Air Pollution and Your Brain

There’s no debate that we want to avoid air pollution as much as possible, and doing so may be one of the most important things you can do for your health. “The World Health Organization (WHO) considers air pollution to be the greatest environmental risk to health,” says Marissa Sobolewski, Ph.D, associate professor of Environmental Medicine and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Unfortunately, pollutants are pretty impossible to avoid. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, about 64 million tons of pollution were emitted into the country’s atmosphere in 20242.