London’s average level of pollution is above recommended limits Exposure to air pollution is linked to a greater risk of depression and suicide, the first overview of studies on the subject has found. While the effects on the body from breathing dirty air are well-established, an emerging body of research has suggested pollution may also affect mental health. Isobel Braithwaite at University College London and her colleagues looked in detail at 25 studies published up to late 2017, for a meta-analysis on the links between the two. They found that someone living for at least six months in an area with twice the World Health Organization’s recommended limit for fine particulate matter, PM2.5, would have roughly a 10 per cent increased risk of developing depression as a person living in an area that met the limit. The WHO’s guideline is that PM2.5s shouldn’t exceed 10 micrograms […]