Eyewitness This: Air pollution could cause anxiety, depression and schizophrenia in children

Friday, September 27, 2019
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's no secret that Los Angeles has some of the worst pollution in the country, but a new study links air pollution with psychiatric disorders in children.

When a pollutant known as PM2.5 was present, researchers noticed a spike in children visiting emergency rooms with symptoms of schizophrenia. Visits relating to other disorders, such as depression and anxiety, spiked one to two days later.
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PM2.5 is found in things like dust and ash, or man-made from burning fossil fuels. Dirty air has already been linked to mental health problems in adults, but this is the first time children have been studied.

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