No More “Happiness In the Air” As Pollutants Dominate The Atmosphere
by Naba Batool
SHARES
By air pollution but high exposure to air pollutants can have detrimental effects on your mental peace as well. PM 2.5 or other types of air pollutants which are broadly categorized as fine particles severely affect cognitive brain function.
Originated from industrial and transportation sources, these particles are named fine particles because they consist of inhalable particles that are hardly noticeable. Researchers are still figuring out the key link between the risk of depression and PM2.5 but they do suspect that it is a positive correlation.
Scientists are also not sure whether genetic predisposition plays a key role or is a causative factor or not!
According to lead author Dr. Hao Yang Tang “The study reveals for the first time how air pollution and genes interact with one another to impact important cognitive and emotional circuitry of the brain. Air pollution is changing the expression of genes that are conducive to depression.”
He further went on to say that although there exist several studies that have hinted about the potential link that exists between depression and pollution this is the first one to solidify all such speculations.
The connection between these two factors is so complicated that they even impose a multiplier effect on the onset of depression. This means that pollutants in the presence of other risk factors such as genetics can have a much worse effect on a person’s mental health.
