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Dr Malcolm White, Clean Air Specialist at Global Action Plan, explains this year’s Clean Air Day theme – “clean up our air to look after your mind” - which highlights the growing evidence that air pollution can impact mental and brain health.

Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health, no matter who you are or where you live. It affects you from your first breath to your last, as the damage to our health can start in the womb and carry on through into old age. To be frank, there is no safe level of air pollution. The health effects are complex, increasing the risk of many health conditions and making some existing health problems worse.

We know this because the relationship between air pollution and our health has been studied for decades. While the physical health impacts of air pollution – such as asthma, heart disease and cancers – are well documented, more recently researchers are beginning to understand how air pollution can affect the brain and the mind.

We now know that people who breathe polluted air are more likely to develop mental health and brain problems than those who breathe in clean air. Research shows that there is an association between air pollution and conditions including schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. It also leads to a more rapid decline in cognitive function, including an increased risk of developing dementia.

One of the main culprits is particulate matter (PM). This is tiny pieces of solid or liquid substances that are inhaled by people as they breathe. When we breathe polluted air, these small pollution particles can enter through our lungs, into our bloodstream and reach the brain. When this happens, it can cause inflammation and change the chemistry of our brain, having a negative impact on our mental health. 

Considering how common these conditions are in our population, it is good that we are now closer to understanding how air pollution impacts our mental and brain health. As a burden on all our health, it’s extremely important that we tackle air pollution. 

Cleaning up our air is good for us in many ways. By taking clean air actions (like driving less and using other forms of travel), we not only protect our mental and brain health but also benefit our wider physical health and the environment around us.  

This Clean Air Day, we can all take simple steps to build a clean air future together – to protect our mental, physical and planet’s health. Any reductions in air pollution that we make will lead to health improvements for us and benefit our local community. But we can't do it alone – the government and industry must make decisions to improve air quality for everyone. We can use our voices to fight for cleaner air.