Ambient sulfur dioxide and female ED visits for depression

Abstract

In clinical practice, comorbidity of depression, heart diseases, migraine, ischemic stroke, epilepsy, and seizures has been observed. By an analogy, it is expected that such comorbidity will be mapped on the similarity in associations between ambient air pollution and these health conditions. For female patients, associations between sulfur dioxide exposure and migraine, ischemic stroke, and depression were reported. This study examined associations between daily levels of sulfur dioxide and emergency department visits for depression in Toronto, Canada, for the period of April 1, 1999-March 31, 2002. The casecrossover technique was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and these values were reported for an increase in the interquartile range (IQR, IQR=3.9 ppb). For patients of 35 years of age and older, the OR=1.27 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.47) for the same-day exposure.

Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits for Suicide Attempts in Vancouver, Canada

“…24 These data provide supporting evidence that pollutant exposure may be a factor in depression, suicide or related outcomes in human populations. 20,25,26 There is mounting toxicological evidence that gaseous and particulate air pollutants can adversely affect the brain and nervous system. Brain damage and severe neuropsychiatric symptoms can result from acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication.…”

“…This evidence, mainly from experimental animal studies, provides a biological plausibility to the notion that exposure of human populations to air pollutants, in concert with susceptibility factors related to age, disease or genetics, may result in neurochemical or neuropathological changes that could potentially manifest as or contribute to depression, suicide ideation or related psychological outcomes. 20,36 We should mention the recent publication on the relation between weather and suicide, 37 which suggests a link between industry chemicals and increased suicide rates, 38 and multi-city study on ED visits for depression in Canada. 39 There are limitations in the interpretation of the findings of this study that are typical of this type of research, including the adequacy of the model and the impact of measurement error in the exposure and outcome variables.…”

“…The positive association for sulphur dioxide is interesting as it agrees with previous observations for female ED visits for migraine 19 and associations with female visits for depression. 20 Vancouver is a relatively warm city compared with other Canadian cities. Those associations were observed for all months and cold months, but not for warm months, may be due to specific environmental influences.…”

“… 24 These data provide supporting evidence that pollutant exposure may be a factor in depression, suicide or related outcomes in human populations. 20 , 25 , 26 …”

“…This evidence, mainly from experimental animal studies, provides a biological plausibility to the notion that exposure of human populations to air pollutants, in concert with susceptibility factors related to age, disease or genetics, may result in neurochemical or neuropathological changes that could potentially manifest as or contribute to depression, suicide ideation or related psychological outcomes. 20 , 36 …”