Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Is Delhi's Toxic Air Making You Sad And Grumpy? Here's What The Study Says

Could air pollution be making you grumpy? We know of the harmful impact of air pollution on our health, including various organs and functioning of our body, but can Delhi's worsening AQI impact how we feel?

There has been emerging evidence that point towards the impact of toxic air on psychological wellbeing and brain health. Polluted air can worsen anxiety, depression, heighten stress, and impair cognitive functions. It has raised fresh concerns with regards to air pollution. 

In fact, speaking to HT, Dr Astik Joshi, who is Child and Adolescent and Forensic Psychiatrist at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said that worsening air conditions could make us more irritable, lower mood, and lead to depressive symptoms. “Toxic haze from long-term exposure to polluted air, specifically smaller airborne particles found in fine particulate matter such as PM2.5, is known to not only penetrate the blood and cross the blood-brain barrier; but when they reach the brain, they activate inflammatory responses and create oxidative stress, thereby disrupting the normal functioning of the brain," he tells HT. 

When polluted air reaches brain, it reduces the levels of oxygen and could even lead to brain inflammation. This can impact in learning and memory areas of brain, and could lead to 'brain fog'.

<h2>What Do The Studies Say On Air Pollution And Mood?</h2>

A study published in Nature Communication notes that after four hours of exposure to particulate matter, it was found that people's ability to perform routine tasks and interpret emotions were highly impacted. 

Study's co-author, Dr Thomas Faherty said, "Study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities.”

Among all the cognitive abilities examined, two showed the clearest impact: selective attention and emotion recognition. People exposed to particulate matter air pollution experienced declines in both, regardless of how the polluted air entered their bodies.

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/british-man-compares-breathing-in-delhi-to-smoking-18-cigarettes-article-153329567" data-type="tilCustomLink">British Man Compares Breathing In Delhi To Smoking 18 Cigarettes</a>

Selective attention is central to decision-making and staying goal-focused, while emotion recognition helps us read social cues and respond appropriately to others. When these functions are affected, everyday tasks can suffer. The study illustrates this through something as routine as grocery shopping: reduced selective attention can make it harder to stick to a list, increasing the likelihood of impulse purchases.

The implications stretch far beyond errands. Even brief exposure during a commute or a short walk could temporarily dull cognitive performance. A drop in attention can affect productivity, while impaired emotion recognition may make collaboration, meetings, and everyday workplace interactions far more challenging.

However, contrary to what Dr Joshi said, the study noted that no decline in working memory was seen. This means that some brain functions were quite resilient and are able to avoid the inflammation caused by pollution. However, more research is required to come to this conclusion, as in the study, the PM exposure was controlled and done by a candle smoke.

A 2002 study titled Air Pollution and Brain Damage, noted that long term exposure to air pollution could lead to cognitive disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

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Could air pollution be making you grumpy? We know of the harmful impact of air pollution on our health, including various organs and functioning of our body, but can Delhi's worsening AQI impact how we feel?There has been emerging evidence that point towards the impact of toxic air on psychological wellbeing and brain health. Polluted air can worsen anxiety, depression, heighten stress, and impair cognitive functions. It has raised fresh concerns with regards to air pollution. In fact, speaking to HT, Dr Astik Joshi, who is Child and Adolescent and Forensic Psychiatrist at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said that worsening air conditions could make us more irritable, lower mood, and lead to depressive symptoms. “Toxic haze from long-term exposure to polluted air, specifically smaller airborne particles found in fine particulate matter such as PM2.5, is known to not only penetrate the blood and cross the blood-brain barrier; but when they reach the brain, they activate inflammatory responses and create oxidative stress, thereby disrupting the normal functioning of the brain," he tells HT. When polluted air reaches brain, it reduces the levels of oxygen and could even lead to brain inflammation. This can impact in learning and memory areas of brain, and could lead to 'brain fog'.What Do The Studies Say On Air Pollution And Mood?A study published in Nature Communication notes that after four hours of exposure to particulate matter, it was found that people's ability to perform routine tasks and interpret emotions were highly impacted. Study's co-author, Dr Thomas Faherty said, "Study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities.”Among all the cognitive abilities examined, two showed the clearest impact: selective attention and emotion recognition. People exposed to particulate matter air pollution experienced declines in both, regardless of how the polluted air entered their bodies.Read: British Man Compares Breathing In Delhi To Smoking 18 CigarettesSelective attention is central to decision-making and staying goal-focused, while emotion recognition helps us read social cues and respond appropriately to others. When these functions are affected, everyday tasks can suffer. The study illustrates this through something as routine as grocery shopping: reduced selective attention can make it harder to stick to a list, increasing the likelihood of impulse purchases.The implications stretch far beyond errands. Even brief exposure during a commute or a short walk could temporarily dull cognitive performance. A drop in attention can affect productivity, while impaired emotion recognition may make collaboration, meetings, and everyday workplace interactions far more challenging.However, contrary to what Dr Joshi said, the study noted that no decline in working memory was seen. This means that some brain functions were quite resilient and are able to avoid the inflammation caused by pollution. However, more research is required to come to this conclusion, as in the study, the PM exposure was controlled and done by a candle smoke.A 2002 study titled Air Pollution and Brain Damage, noted that long term exposure to air pollution could lead to cognitive disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.