Pollution isn't exactly the kind of topic that cheers people up, but my focus in this Sharepost is to ask questions about the effects of everyday exposure to pollution and whether anxiety and depression might result?
The issue of environmental pollution used to be pretty straight forward. If you lived in towns and cities you were far more likely to be exposed to pollutants than if you lived in more rural settings. These days things aren't quite so clear cut. Each year thousands of different industrial chemicals from across the globe spew into our environment from a variety of sources and for very different reasons. These days when we think of pollution it tends to be in relation to things like greenhouse gasses rather than the deodorant or shampoo we use. We think of the lead in car exhaust fumes rather than the fish on your plate or the vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides and insecticides. Yet, these are all potential sources of toxins, and whenever we ingest toxins it's reasonable to assume there has to be a consequence.
Most of us live in a world where we're bombarded with chemicals in places and at times we least expect. Ever wonder why those cut flowers you buy look so fresh and colorful? Or, why the golf course looks so inviting and green? Or what happens to the toxic dust that gradually shreds away from car tyres? Believe me, I could go on, but my aim isn't to generate alarm so much as awareness.
Compared to our ancestors our bodies now contain more heavy metals like mercury and lead. If we take mercury poisoning as just one example, we know it causes extreme agitation. Concerns about the use of mercury in dental fillings and as a preservative in many vaccines continue to be raised but dismissed by the scientific community as unfounded. However background mercury levels continue to rise and quite considerable amounts have appeared in our oceans and now contaminate fish stocks. There is sufficient concern for the FDA who now advises pregnant women against consuming more than one small can of fish a week.
We now know that many insecticides have the ability to block receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA. This has particular implications for anxiety as GABA naturally inhibits arousal. Until fairly recently organophosphates were used for killing sheep parasites. Some scientists have suggested that the high suicide rate amongst farmers might be connected, but as others have pointed out, their often isolated lifestyle could also be a significant factor. Organophosphates are still used in treatments for lice and fleas and in some treatments for gardens and house plants. If you must use them, always wear protective clothing and try not to breathe in the fumes.
These days we live in a kind of chemical soup in which we breathe, eat, drink and absorb chemicals from the things around us. Some of these will be harmless but we also know the effects some of these chemicals can have on the nervous system. What we don't really know is what constitutes normal or abnormal levels in our bodies. After all, when was the last time you were invited to have your pesticide levels checked?
