Scientists Establish Link Between Poor Ecology and People's Mental Health

The air we breathe affects people's mental well-being, which in turn affects heart health. This is the conclusion of scientists from the United States who studied the concentration in the air of tiny particles known as PM2.5 in 3,000 counties with a total population of 315 million people.

Experts have found that a polluted environment can cause stress and depression in middle-aged people, provoking cardiovascular diseases.

"Our research shows that the air we breathe affects our mental well-being, which in turn affects heart health," said lead study author Dr. Shady Abuhashem of Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. The study experimentally found that the link between poor mental health and premature death from cardiovascular disease was strongest in areas with higher levels of air pollution.

The top ten most polluted countries in the world are Nepal, Niger, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, Bahrain, Chad, Iraq. The best countries in terms of air purity are Finland, Brunei, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, Iceland, Estonia, Norway, USA, Maldives.