Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and child mental health: is the effect modified by exposure to environmental nitrous oxide?

Traffic-related pollution and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Chinese adults: A population-based study

BACKGROUND

Limited understanding exists regarding the associations of traffic-related pollution with depression and anxiety symptoms in individuals residing within low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS

Data for this study were extracted from the Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR) survey, implemented between June 20 and August 31, 2023. We determined residential proximity to major roadways through self-reports and evaluated depression symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), along with anxiety symptoms assessed through the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). We examined the associations between residential proximity to major roadways and depression and anxiety symptoms using logistic regressions and generalized linear models, while controlling for potential confounding variables.

RESULTS

This study comprised a total of 22,723 participants. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for depression symptoms were 1.34 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 1.51), 1.29 (95 % CI 1.17, 1.43), 1.34 (95 % CI 1.20, 1.49), and 1.32 (95 % CI 1.17, 1.49) among individuals residing within <50 m, 50-100 m, 101-200 m, and 201-300 m, respectively, in comparison to those residing >300 m from a major roadway. Individuals residing <50 m, 50-100 m, 101-200 m, and 201-300 m from a major roadway exhibited adjusted OR for anxiety symptoms of 1.49 (95 % CI 1.30, 1.69), 1.21 (95 % CI 1.07, 1.37), 1.38 (95 % CI 1.21, 1.56), and 1.38 (95 % CI 1.20, 1.59), respectively, in contrast to those residing >300 m.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable insights into the associations between environmental factors and mental health. The findings underscore the importance of integrating environmental considerations into comprehensive mental health frameworks, especially for individuals residing near high-traffic areas.

Air pollution and risk of hospitalization for epilepsy: the role of farm use of nitrogen fertilizers and emissions of the agricultural air pollutant, nitrous oxide

ABSTRACT The link between various air pollutants and hospitalization for epilepsy has come under scrutiny. We have proposed that exposure to air pollution and specifically the pervasive agricultural air pollutant and greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), may provoke susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders. Evidence supports a role of N2O exposure in reducing epileptiform seizure activity, while withdrawal from the drug has been shown to induce seizure-like activity. Therefore, we show here that the statewide use of anthropogenic nitrogen fertilizers (the most recognized causal contributor to environmental N2O burden) is significantly negatively associated with hospitalization for epilepsy in all three pre-specified hospitalization categories, even after multiple pollutant comparison correction (p<.007), while the other identified pollutants were not consistently statistically significantly associated with hospitalization for epilepsy. We discuss potential neurological mechanisms underpinning this association between air pollutants associated with farm use of anthropogenic nitrogen fertilizers and hospitalization for epilepsy.