I heard that there was an impact of air pollution on mental health. This summary of an article published on 11/17/2021 on www.lepoint.fr allows you to dig out a little more. People repeatedly exposed to poor air quality combining both particles and nitrogen oxides are at greater risk of depression and anxiety.
According to Public Health France, pollution caused around 40,000 deaths per year in France between 2016 and 2019. Note an improvement compared to the years 20011 and 2015 when the figure was close to 50,000 cases.
While the consequences of air pollution on physical health are well known, it also appears to have a significant impact on our mental health.
How does air pollution impact our mental health?
Pollution directly affects the neuronal development of children, especially if the mother is exposed during the first months of pregnancy. Regular exposure to polluted air would lead to a higher risk of self-harm in children under 10 years old. In adults, it would lead to an increased risk of developing dementia or Parkinson's disease.
It has also been shown that regular inhalation of fine particles smaller than 2.5µm ( PM2.5 ) increases the level of depression, bipolarity, and even schizophrenia in adults. During pollution peaks, scientists also note an increase in suicide attempts.
Experts from Public Health France explain the impact of pollution on the brain: "Fine particles can destroy the blood-brain barrier or penetrate through the olfactory nerve into the brain", as well as through the part of the digestive tract that includes the stomach, small intestine and large intestine, leading to imbalances that affect the central nervous system.
However, Professor Franck Schürhoff, a psychiatrist at Henri-Mondor Hospital (Paris) and professor at Paris-Est Créteil University, insists that pollution alone is not enough to trigger these neuropsychiatric pathologies; it only accelerates the disorders already present in some people.
How to protect yourself from air pollution?
To protect yourself while commuting, whether by foot, by bike, scooter or motorized 2-wheelers, I recommend wearing a Frogmask anti-pollution mask, equipped with FFP2 filters.
Thanti-is pollution face mask filter a minimum of 94% of particles up to 0.4µm thanks to the 5 layers of their FFP2/N95 filters.
Available in 3 sizes, they fit perfectly to each face size so that maximum airflow passes through the filters rather than through the sides of the mask if it is not perfectly adjusted. This is why one-size-fits-all mask brands are not the best performing tools to get maximum protection against airborne particles.
The health benefits of cycling to work?
Bike commuting daily physical exercise has many benefits both for the environment, of course, for your budget but also for your health.
A study conducted by the Ebike.org website among 1,038 cyclists (363 urban cyclists and 675 non-cyclists) sought to determine whether there is a difference in the state of mind and productivity levels of employees who commute to work by bike compared to those who use other modes of transport.
The results revealed some surprising benefits since cyclists began cycling to work:
- 70% have more energy throughout the day
- 51% say they are less stressed during the work day
- 42% are more satisfied with their job
- 40% cite an increase in their willingness to innovate
- 30% say they are less likely to quit in the next six months
- 27% see an increase in their overall productivity
- $2,500 in annual savings (an average of $48 per week) by not driving to work
- $15,000 more in annual wages than workers using other means of transportation.
There is not much to add: air pollution affects mental health, cycling is good for the body and brain of the rider while reducing pollution, anti-pollution mask protect the cyclist from pollution. The circle is complete.
