With the increase in fossil fuel consumption, air pollution in cities has become a serious threat to human health. According to research, air pollution affects not only physical health but also mental health.
Publika.az reports that air pollution affects children’s mental health the most.
High levels of carbon dioxide emissions are one of the main causes of global warming. The use of fossil fuels, which cause carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases, not only changes the climate, but also causes air pollution in cities. As a result of research, it was found that air pollution, as well as global warming, damages the human brain and affects mental health.
“People who breathe polluted air experience changes in the brain regions that control emotions. As a result, they are more prone to anxiety and depression than those who breathe cleaner air,” said Clara G. Zundelin, a researcher at Wayne State University in the United States.
He said that in 95 percent of studies examining brain effects, we found significant physical and functional changes in brain regions that regulate emotion in those exposed to high levels of air pollution.
The very small and fine particles that pollute the air from car exhausts or chimneys travel through the nose to the brain and cause direct damage or conditions that alter brain function.
Children are the most affected by physical and mental problems caused by air pollution. Research by scientists has revealed the extreme sensitivity of children to climate change and air pollution.
Professor Frederica Perrera, founding director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, said:
“Studies have shown that prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution can lead to low IQ and other cognitive problems in the unborn child. In addition, air pollution can affect attention. It can lead to deficit and hyperactivity disorder, autism and even brain damage in children.”
