LONDON.- Air pollution, apart from contributing to global warming, affects our mental health, according to a new study from King’s College London, which associates the increased use of health services with high exposure to pollution, especially in people who have dementia disorder.
“Based on clear evidence, coming from data from the real world (…) air pollution definitely has an impact not only on our physical health, but also on our mental health,” doctor and researcher Amy Ronaldson, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience from King’s College London.
Dr. Ronaldson co-leads with her counterpart, Ioannis Bakolis, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, a study showing “that pollution increases the severity of use of mental health services” and creates a medical necessity in its reduction, he argues. .
More than 5,000 people diagnosed with dementia in south London, known for its high pollution, were the source of his research, “Pollution exposure is associated with increased psychiatric services for people with dementia,” for more than nine years. .
Their conclusions: high exposure to pollution increases the use of these resources; People with no pre-existing medical condition are 27% more likely to need assistance, and 38% more likely to need assistance among people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
THE UNSEEN THREAT
Both the harmfulness and its non-visibility make this phenomenon go unnoticed: “we can call pollution the invisible killer, because it is not something you can see,” says Balokis.
The United Nations (UN) defines it as “the greatest public global threat” and estimates that it causes seven million premature deaths each year worldwide.
The study points to nitrogen dioxide and suspended particles as the main pathogens, which have daily traffic as their source, as well as factories or even domestic activities.
“Recent evidence suggests that very small airborne particles could reach the brain through the nose,” says Dr Bakolis.
“There are direct effects of pollution on the brain, as well as indirect ones, which can affect it by hindering or damaging our physical health,” adds researcher Ronaldson.
A very common example is vascular dementia, “caused by reduced blood supply to the brain due to the effects of air pollutants on the cardiovascular system,” explains the doctor.
MITIGATE TO BREATHE
“The current level of air pollution is not free (…) it has an enormous health and economic impact, with a great social cost,” warns Dr. Bakalis.
The context of the study can be extrapolated to large urban centers, such as London, Milan or Madrid, which are above the average levels of contamination recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), 5μg/m3 of PM2.5 particles in suspension. such as dust, soot and metals.
“If we find ways to reduce pollution and lower the air quality recommended by the European authorities, of course it can have an impact on health services as well as public health,” says the academic.
Bakalis and Ronaldson suggest different forms of intervention for this: at the urban level the introduction of “Ultra Low Emission Zones”; or at the mental health level, professional training to discuss its impact, as well as natural prescriptions or keeping residences and mental health centers away from the urban hustle and bustle.
“What we are trying to promote is that pollution has negative effects on mental health,” says researcher Ronaldson, and that, adds Bakalis, “there is no health without mental health.”
“This is something that involves the whole society. We need to agree on how to protect the air in our neighborhoods, and create a better place for the future,” Bakolis concludes.
