BOULDER, Colo. — A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder uncovered a link between wildfire smoke exposure and mental illness in youth.
Researchers looked at data from 10,000 kids between the ages of 9 and 11 from across the country and compared it to air pollution levels where those children live.
“The main finding was that in both boys and girls, a higher number of days above the EPA standards was associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms,” said Harry Smolker, the lead author of the report published in August.
The EPA sets a standard for how much pollution is allowed in the air before it becomes potentially dangerous. The type of pollution this study looked at is called fine particulate air pollution. To be considered a fine particulate, the particles in the air must be below 2.5 micrometers in size.
“Their size is actually really important because it's believed that when they enter the lungs, they're actually small enough to enter your bloodstream and then pass through the blood-brain barrier and impinge upon your neurons and other brain cells,” said Smolker. “It's thought that fine particulate air pollution may be particularly detrimental to the brain and behavior because it actually can get into your brain and impinge upon neural tissue.”
Fine particulate air pollution is caused by any sort of combustion, but dangerous levels typically only occur from wildfires, at least for the past number of years.
“Since the Clean Air Act in the 1970s, average levels of fine particulate air pollution in this country have been going down,” said Smolker. “With the coincidence of increased wildfires and larger wildfires over the last couple decades, we're seeing that these really extreme fine particulate air pollution events are becoming more common and more severe.”
The study found a small correlation between the number of days in an environment above the EPA safety standards for fine particulate air pollution and the number of parents in the study who reported their children suffering from mental health illnesses like anxiety and depression.
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For every 10 days spent above those EPA guidelines, there was a roughly 1.5% increase in reported mental illnesses. They also found a correlation between exposure to air pollution and specific kinds of mental distress in girls.
“We did have a second finding that was only observed in females, where a higher level annual average of fine particulate air pollution was associated with increased levels of externalizing symptoms,” said Smolker. “So these are kind of aggressive behaviors or conduct problems.”
Experts said the best way to avoid inhaling any pollution on particularly polluted days is to stay inside. Indoor HEPA filters can also help remove any pollutants from the air.
If you must go outside on a high-pollution day, try to limit your physical activity. Experts also recommend wearing a N95 mask.
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