Cutting air pollution around the world to the EU’s legal limit could prevent millions of people from becoming depressed, the research suggests. This assumes that exposure to toxic air is causing these cases of depression. Scientists believe this is likely but is difficult to prove beyond doubt. The particle pollution analyzed in the study is produced by burning fossil fuels in vehicles, homes, and industry.
The researchers said the new evidence further strengthened calls to tackle what the World Health Organization calls the “silent public health emergency” of dirty air. “We’ve shown that air pollution could be causing substantial harm to our mental health, making the case for cleaning up the air we breathe even more urgent,” said lead researcher, at University College London (UCL) Meeting the EU limit could make a big difference, she said. “You could prevent about 15% of depression,…
