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READ MORE: Long-term exposure to air pollution linked to mental health issues Exposure to air pollution could be contributing to a mental health crisis, scientists from Harvard warn. The researchers, from the college's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, analyzed emergency department (ED) admission rates for mental health conditions in California during the state's 2020 wildfires — among the worst in the state's history before the latest devastation in January. In particular, they looked at admissions for anxiety, depression , mood disorders and psychosis — or a loss of touch with reality. Results showed an increase in ED admissions for mental health in areas with higher levels of air pollution from the fires. Not only could a life-altering event like a wildfire cause a mental health crisis over fears of losing your home, a loved one or being worried for your livelihood, but researchers believe pollution from the burning is actually...

Over 50 countries, cities, and organizations pledged new commitments on Thursday to tackle air pollution, protect public health, and help halve its deadly impacts by 2040 - a goal backed by a petition from 47 million health professionals, patients and advocates demanding clean air be made a public health priority. The Second WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health co-hosted by the World Health Organization and Colombia, in the city of Cartagena, brought together over 700 participants from 100 countries - including heads of state, ministers, scientists, and civil society groups -- to accelerate action to curb what's increasingly described as a full-scale health emergency. "It is time to move from commitments to bold actions," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "To achieve clean air, we need urgent actions on all fronts: financial investment in sustainable solutions, such as in clean energ...