Intersection of Environmental and Mental Health
Environmental exposure impacts our wellbeing as humans in many different ways, one of them being mental health. Historically, many have used environmental exposures can lead to harm in mental health but recently, experts have highlighted how environmental exposure can cause positive mental health outcomes. Studies have found trends at the intersection of toxicant pollution exposures and mental health. Specifically, exposures of air pollution, pesticides, and metals have shown significant impacts on mental health. Recent studies have shown a correlation between specific air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide and psychotic experiences for teenagers. Additionally, studies have focused on how urban upbringing doubles the risk of developing old-age Alzheimer’s and developing depression and anxiety. Reduction in air pollution could potentially lower risks for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions (National Library of Medicine). Similarly, pesticide exposure can affect mental health as discussed by Virginia Rauh of Columbia University. She explains that annually, 5000 new synthetic chemicals are introduced into the environment and up to 25 percent of these chemicals could potentially be neurotoxic. Specifically, neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifo has proven to be especially harmful to developing brains. Chlorpyrifo exposure has been associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes for children, such as cognitive defects. With this, brain imaging scans have depicted that there are differences in regions of the brain that are associated with attention, language, and motor control in children with prenatal exposure of chlorpyrifos (National Library of Medicine). Lastly, human exposure to metal by ways of mining, smelting, manufacturing, electronics, etc. has also been shown to be toxic and affect mental health. In animal studies, prenatal and neonatal exposure has been proven to lead to learning deficits and hyperactivity (Environmental Health Perspectives). More specifically, lead exposure has affected brain development by disruption of neuronal signaling. Additionally, high lead levels in blood in children have shown a statistically significant correlation with psychiatric problems in adulthood (National Library of Medicine). With all of these results on the correlation between environmental exposures and mental health, experts caution that there need to be more long-term studies depicting the impact of environmental exposures more holistically as they occur in individuals’ daily lives.
By Devangi Rathi