Work

Association of air pollutants with psychiatric disorders: a two-sample Mendelian randomization

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The link between air pollution and increased risk of psychiatric disorders has been growing in evidence. However, the causal relationship between air pollution and psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with air pollutants (including NOx, NO 2 , PM 2.5 , PM 2.5–10 , and PM 10 ) from the UK Biobank were used as instrumental variables. Summary-level data for psychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, anorexia nervosa, and obsessive-compulsive disorder) were procured from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and FinnGen consortium. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to analyze the causal associations. The MR analysis revealed significant associations between certain air pollutants and specific types of psychiatric disorders. The inverse-variance weighted model of preliminary analysis indicated that genetically predicted NO 2 was associated with increased risks of major depressive disorder (odds ratio [OR]: 1.13, 95 % confidence intervals [CI]: 1.00–1.28, P = 0.041), bipolar disorder (OR: 1.26, 95 % CI: 1.00–1.58, P = 0.0497), schizophrenia (OR: 1.57, 95 % CI: 1.23–2.00, P < 0.001), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR: 1.61, 95 % CI: 1.25–2.09, P < 0.001) and autism spectrum disorder (OR: 1.39, 95 % CI: 1.01–1.91, P = 0.044). Genetically predicted PM 2.5 showed a positive association with the risk of major depressive disorder (OR: 1.21, 95 % CI: 1.06–1.39, P = 0.006), bipolar disorder (OR: 1.32, 95 % CI: 1.03–1.69, P = 0.030) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR: 1.57, 95 % CI: 1.16–2.12, P = 0.004). In addition, our results also indicated that NOx (OR: 1.64, 95 % CI: 1.21–2.21, P = 0.0012) and PM 10 (OR: 1.70, 95 % CI: 1.23–2.36, P = 0.0014) could increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The MR analysis provides evidence for the causality of different air pollutants on specific psychiatric disorders, underscoring the importance of mitigating air pollution to reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders. • The causal relationship between air pollution and psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood. • The MR analysis reveals a causal connection between air pollutants and higher risks of psychiatric disorders. • This study underscores the mechanisms of psychiatric disorders caused by air pollutants. • Mitigating air pollution is vital for reducing the risks of psychiatric disorders.

Source: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117105

Authors: Yuan-Yuan Ma, Qiong-Yan Li, An-Yu Shi, Jiang-Li Li, Yan-Jiang Wang, Xin Li

Institutions: Army Medical University, Daping Hospital, Yunnan University, Xinqiao Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Air Quality and Health Impacts

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,990