Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Nov;75(11):1111-1116.
doi: 10.1136/jech-2021-216772. Epub 2021 May 13.

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter originating from traffic and residential wood combustion and the prevalence of depression

Sara Allaouat  1 , Tarja Yli-Tuomi  2 , Pekka Tiittanen  2 , Anu W Turunen  2 , Taina Siponen  2 , Jaakko Kukkonen  3   4   5 , Leena Kangas  3 , Mari Kauhaniemi  3 , Mia Aarnio  6 , Tiia Ngandu  7 , Timo Lanki  8   2   9
Affiliations

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter originating from traffic and residential wood combustion and the prevalence of depression

Sara Allaouat et al. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: Air pollution has been suggested to be associated with depression. However, current evidence is conflicting, and no study has considered different sources of ambient particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 µm (PM2.5). We evaluated the associations of long-term exposure to PM2.5 from road traffic and residential wood combustion with the prevalence of depression in the Helsinki region, Finland.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis based on the Helsinki Capital Region Environmental Health Survey 2015-2016 (N=5895). Modelled long-term outdoor concentrations of PM2.5 were evaluated using high-resolution emission and dispersion modelling on an urban scale and linked to the home addresses of study participants. The outcome was self-reported doctor-diagnosed or treated depression. We applied logistic regression and calculated the OR for 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, with 95% CI. Models were adjusted for potential confounders, including traffic noise and urban green space.

Results: Of the participants, 377 reported to have been diagnosed or treated for depression by a doctor. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 from road traffic (OR=1.23, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.73; n=5895) or residential wood combustion (OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.41; n=5895) was not associated with the prevalence of depression. The estimates for PM2.5 from road traffic were elevated, but statistically non-significant, for non-smokers (OR=1.38, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.01; n=4716).

Conclusions: We found no convincing evidence of an effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 from road traffic or residential wood combustion on depression.

Keywords: air pollution; depression; environmental health; traffic.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Predicted concentrations of PM2.5 in the Helsinki metropolitan area in 2013, originating from (A) all urban sources and the long-range and regionally transported background, (B) residential wood combustion, and (C) vehicular traffic. The figures also show the location of the main street and road network and the sea areas. Map data copyright: OpenStreetMap contributors. PM2.5, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Xue T, Zhu T, Zheng Y, et al. Declines in mental health associated with air pollution and temperature variability in China. Nat Commun 2019;10:2165. 10.1038/s41467-019-10196-y - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fekadu N, Shibeshi W, Engidawork E. Major depressive disorder: pathophysiology and clinical management. J Depress Anxiety 2017;06:255–61. 10.4172/2167-1044.1000255 - DOI
    1. Hasler G. Pathophysiology of depression: do we have any solid evidence of interest to clinicians? World Psychiatry 2010;9:155–61. 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2010.tb00298.x - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Thomson EM. Air pollution, stress, and allostatic load: linking systemic and central nervous system impacts. J Alzheimers Dis 2019;69:597–614. 10.3233/JAD-190015 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chu C, Zhang H, Cui S, et al. Ambient PM2.5 caused depressive-like responses through Nrf2/NLRP3 signaling pathway modulating inflammation. J Hazard Mater 2019;369:180–90. 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.02.026 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types