Clean up our air to look after your mind

The World Health Organisation report that 92% of the world’s population breathes air that contains deadly pollutants exceeding recommended limits¹. That’s 7.3 billion people. Not only is this figure highly alarming, but it is also increasing as climate change takes its grip on our planet. TRL are in alignment with the Clean Air Day theme for 2023 of ‘clean up our air to look after your mind’.

Air pollution can have detrimental effects on public health, with literature demonstrating a clear association between poor air quality and the development of respiratory² and cardiovascular diseases³. Within recent years, scientists have delved into the field of how pollution can impact our mental health and wellbeing, with a sufficient body of research highlighting that highly polluted environments have strong causal mechanisms with an increased risk of cognitive decline⁴, stroke⁵ and mental illnesses⁶ such as depression and anxiety.

So how can the air we breathe impact human beings’ quality of life so intensely? In simple terms, particulate matter present in air pollution can induce oxidative stress and cell death, leading to disrupted signalling which can alter the brain’s structure and functioning⁷. Another angle zooms in on how one’s physical wellbeing can hinder one’s mental wellbeing – with research suggesting that the negative effects of pollution on physical health such as reduced lung function and increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases can further exacerbate distress, anxiety, and fear⁸. With regards to declined cognitive function, air pollution can have detrimental effects on the central nervous system, including increased risk of dementia and stroke. This is because the particulates can damage the developing brain, which is especially concerning as this damage can impair cognitive function in the early stages of life. A study in Mexico City found that children living in more polluted areas have worse cognitive performance and more prefrontal brain lesions⁹.

Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental illnesses, with 8 in 100 people being diagnosed with these conditions in any given week in England¹⁰. A study conducted on UK residents found that a 10μg/m³ increase in the average level of PM_2.5 air pollution exposure was associated with an approximate 10% increase in their risk of depression. Researchers and scientists don’t know the exact causes of these mental health conditions are, but with such a strong body of growing evidence demonstrating that air pollution can impact mental health, it is within our responsibility at TRL to help play our part in addressing the problem where we can.

Pollution comes from numerous causes: factories, dust, wildfires, and vehicle exhausts. We are going to focus on the latter. According to recent research, the transport industry is the largest emitter, accounting for 28% of all UK emissions. For over four decades, TRL have been at the hub of finding a sustainable solution to reduce this figure, with services including air quality and emissions modelling, roadside vehicle emissions testing and monitoring, air quality action plans and bespoke solutions for sustainable and low emission transport. TRL’s behavioural team also conduct a lot of attitudinal research with the public to gain insight into the facilitators and barriers of switching to electrified vehicles or public transport. With regards to fleets and organisations, TRL’s ECO Stars Fleet Recognition Scheme is a free programme that helps fleet operators improve efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and make cost savings. Since 2009, ECO Stars has widened its remit to taxi and private car hire fleets and local authorities, with over 500 members with 14,000+ vehicles.

TRL have a mission to help the transport sector reduce its carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides footprint and contribute to the UK’s Road to Zero plan. We are currently working on several projects which have a secondary effect of improving air quality, by reducing congestion and emissions produced by the transport sector. Examples include investigations of the uptake of commercial electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, identification of the facilitators that will encourage road users switch to sustainable and public transport modes, and evaluations of city-wide schemes that aim to make journeys easier, smarter, and greener.

TRL will continue to support the Clean Air Day movement to reduce emissions, to not only protect the planet, but to protect peoples' mental health and wellbeing.

TRL also hold an impressive collection of past projects aligned with the mission, which have focussed on areas such as air quality, freight, and electrification:

1.  Air Quality Monitoring at Ferrybridge (2019) – TRL installed an air quality monitoring station to measure nitrogen oxides, particulates, and heavy metals. The team provided specialist air quality support, management and reporting to the client.
2. Helm UK: HGV Platooning Trials (2022) – This real-world trial ran for five years and assessed whether the benefits of HGV platooning, such as reducing emissions and congestion through a slipstreaming effect, can be realised in the UK.
3. Preparing the SRN for Increased Use by Electric Vehicles (2014) – This feasibility study looked at ways that Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer systems (chargers embedded beneath the road surface to continuously provide power to EVs) can be deployed on the SRN.
4. Zero Emission Road Freight Trials – ElectroRoad (2021) – This project is part of the ZERFT programme, and was an in-depth feasibility study of an extended, on-road UK demonstration of Electric Road System technology for HGVs.

References

1. Organisation WH. Ambient Air Pollution: A Global Assessment of Exposure and Burden of Disease. Working Papers. Geneva (2016).
2. Kim, K-H., Jahan, S. & Kabir, E. (2013) A review on human health perspective of air pollution with respect to allergies and asthma. Environment International.
3. Fiordelisi, A., Piscitelli, P., Trimarco, B., Coscioni, E., Iaccarino, G. & Sorriento, D. (2017) The mechanisms of air pollution and particulate matter in cardiovascular diseases. Heart Failure Reviews.
4. Power, M., Weisskopf, M., Alexeeff, S., Coull, B., Spiro, A. & Schwartz, J. (2011) Traffic-related air pollution and cognitive function in a cohort of older men; Tallon, L., Manjourides, J., Pun, V., Salhi, C. & Suh, H. (2017) Cognitive impacts of ambient air pollution in the National Social Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) cohort. Environment International
5. Genc, S., Zadeoglulari, Z., Fuss, S. & Genc, K. (2012) The adverse effects of air pollution on the nervous system. Journal of Toxicology.
6. Kelly, B., O’Callaghan, E., Waddington, J., Feeney, L., Browne, S., Scully, P., Clarke, M., Quinn, OJ, McTigue, O., Morgan, M., Kinsella, A. & Larkin, C. (2010) Schizophrenia and the city: A review of literature and prospective study of psychosis and urbanicity in Ireland. Schizophrenia Research.
7. Gawda, A., Majka, G., Nowak, B. & Marcinkiewicz, J. (2017) Air pollution, oxidative stress, and exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. Central European Journal of Immunology.
8. Salim, S., Chugh, G. & Asghar, M. (2012) Inflammation in anxiety. Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology.
9. Padhy, S., Sarkar, S., Davuluri, T. & Patra, B. (2014) Urban living and psychosis – an overview. Asian Journal of Psychiatry.
10. McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016). Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult psychiatric morbidity survey 2014.