According to Public Health France, there are 40,000 deaths per year in France and nearly eight months of life expectancy lost linked to exposure to fine particles. But breathing polluted air doesn’t “just” affect our heart or lungs, it also affects our mind. Too often ignored, the link between air quality and mental health is a major problem.
Exposure to high levels of air pollution significantly increases hospitalizations for mental disorders, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. This study – which constitutes one of the most comprehensive analyzes on the subject – reinforces the idea of an urgent need for strict environmental policies, as explained by The Guardian.
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In total, data from 202,237 people aged over 17 was collected. Between 2002 and 2017, their health status and hospital admissions for cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious, mental illnesses or behavioral disorders were monitored. By cross-referencing public health data with pollution levels in residential areas, researchers studied the impacts of four major pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and fine particles (PM10 and PM2.5).
The results show that people exposed to high levels of NO2 and fine particles present an increased risk of admission to hospital. These hospitalizations concern not only physical illnesses (cardiovascular or respiratory disorders), but also mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and personality disorders.
Breathing cleaner air is an urgent matter
This study is widely recognized by experts. According to Ioannis Bakolis, professor of public mental health and statistics at King’s College London (who was not involved in the study), this data “on a large scale” have been “appropriately analyzed and provide further evidence of the link between air pollution and mental health”.
Previous research has already established that growing up in polluted areas increases the risk of developing mental disorders in adulthood. A study carried out by American and Danish researchers also suggested a link between pollution and psychiatric disorders. In France, schizophrenia is estimated to affect between 0.2% and 1% of the general population, and bipolar disorders between 1% and 2.5%. However, these figures could well increase due to continued exposure to air pollution.
Faced with these findings, researchers are calling for more ambitious public policies to reduce air pollution. According to Mary Abed Al Ahad, director of the study, “Policies and interventions targeting air pollutant emissions, such as zero-emission zones or incentives for renewable energy in the transport and power generation sectors, could help ease the burden of hospital care in the long term, both locally and globally.” It couldn’t be clearer: breathing purer air is an emergency both from the point of view of public health and the environment.
