It’s coming from wildfire smoke.
As wildfires persist in California, a new study reveals that the smoke and other forms of air pollution from these fires may be adversely affecting children’s mental health. The study indicates that frequent exposure to elevated levels of particle pollution is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues in children.
Researchers found that every additional day of exposure to unsafe air significantly heightened the likelihood of mental health problems in young people. “It’s crucial to understand how these extreme environmental events impact the brains and behaviors of young individuals,” stated Harry Smolker, the lead investigator from the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Institute of Cognitive Science.
The study analyzed data from 10,000 children aged 9 to 11 who are part of an ongoing brain development study. By examining the air quality data from 2016 and linking it to the participants’ addresses, researchers determined the number of days each child was exposed to particle pollution levels deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, which are significantly smaller than a human hair, have been found to potentially penetrate the blood-brain barrier and affect brain function. Previous studies have shown that high pollution levels can increase hospital admissions for mental health issues in adults and that exposure during pregnancy can lead to cognitive impairments in children.
The findings revealed that both boys and girls experienced heightened mental health symptoms with each additional day of exposure to particle pollution. The study noted that the impact of continuous exposure was more significant than annual average exposure or peak pollution levels. On average, each additional day of exposure increased mental health risk scores by 0.1 points on a scale from 1 to 64, a figure that, while small, can accumulate over time.
Smolker also pointed out that genetic factors might make some children more susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution, underscoring the need for further research into how environmental factors and genetics interact to influence mental health.
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