Scientists at University College London analyzed data from nine studies regarding the connection between PM2.5 pollution and adult mental health.
After analyzing studies from 16 countries studying the long-term effects of smog on the human psyche, they found that with increasing levels of pollution, the number of cases of suicide and depression also increased. Toxic particles emitted by automobiles and industry enter the bloodstream after inhalation and cause inflammation in the brain, as well as affect the level of stress hormones. And both factors cause problems not only with physical, but also with mental health.
Analysis showed that the average exposure to PM2.5, the smallest type of particulate matter, was 44 micrograms per cubic meter (µg / m3). For every 10 μg / m3 in excess of this amount, there was an increase in depression by about 10 percent and an increase in suicide by 2%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends keeping pollution levels below 10 mcg / m3, but more than 90% of countries exceed it, and sometimes by dozens of times. In the study, pollution levels ranged from 114 to 97 in Delhi, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh, to six in Ottawa, Canada, and Wellington, New Zealand. In general, more than 80% of the world's urban population breathes unsafe air.
According to the WHO World Health Organization, this invisible killer causes about 7 million premature deaths per year.
According to experts, air pollution also contributes to the growth of degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, negatively affects the cognitive abilities of students.
Researchers estimate that reducing the global exposure to PM2.5 from 44 mcg / m3 to 25 mcg / m3 can reduce the risk of depression worldwide by 15 percent.
The results are published in the Environmental Health Perspectives.
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