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Impact of Air Pollution on Depression （帶中文翻譯）


By Ellie Ham

What is Depression

Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a type of mood disorder that causes individuals to lose interest and feel unhappiness. As it has the ability to affect our thinking and behaviour, those with the condition may experience problems in their daily lives. 


If a person is diagnosed with depression, it is common for them to feel unhappiness and emptiness, sometimes frustrated with small matters. Symptoms will include the inability to feel interested in various activities including their hobbies, sleep disturbances, tiredness, anxiety, decrease in appetite and etc. However, depression can be treated through medication or psychotherapy. 


What is Ozone? 

Ozone, a type of colourless, odourless, reactive gas, can be found in the Earth’s stratosphere, absorbing ultraviolet radiation to prevent it from harming Earth’s organisms. However, ozone that is typically found on ground levels where it can come into contact with individuals is dangerous. Substances such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, typically products of human activities like vehicle emissions and fossil fuel combustion, can undergo chemical reactions under hot weather with enough sunlight to form ozone. An increase in levels of ground-level ozone can lead to physical consequences such as damaged respiratory cells, cough, and chest tightness. However, it was also discovered that individuals are prone to depressive symptoms when exposed to air pollution, especially ozone. 


How Does Air Pollution Affect Depression

A study conducted by the American Psychological Association over the course of four years with 213 adolescents in the San Francisco Bay area has shown that in areas with high levels of ozone, symptoms of depression among adolescents increased, no matter their age, sex, race, etc. 


Adolescents are more vulnerable to air pollution as they spend more time outdoors and breathe faster compared to adults. It was found that exposure to ozone causes inflammation, which leads to developing symptoms of depression. Although the study was only conducted on a small group of people, the link cannot be ignored. 


Through inflammation in the brain parenchyma, levels of tumour necrosis factor, also known as TNFα, a type of protein that binds proteins and proteases, rise. The increased TNFα in the hippocampus and striatum, both a part of the brain, can lead to symptoms of depression or anxiety. 


麼是抑鬱症？

抑鬱症，也稱為重度抑鬱障礙或臨床抑鬱症，是一種情緒障礙，會導致個體失去興趣並感到不快樂。由於它可以影響我們的思維和行為，患有這種疾病的人可能在日常生活中遇到問題。

如果一個人被診斷出患有抑鬱症，他們通常會感到不快樂和空虛，有時會因小事而感到沮喪。症狀包括對各種活動，包括他們的愛好，失去興趣、睡眠障礙、疲勞、焦慮、食慾減退等等。然而，抑鬱症可以通過藥物治療或心理治療來治療。


什麼是臭氧？

臭氧是一種無色、無味、反應性強的氣體，可在地球的平流層中發現，吸收紫外線，防止其傷害地球的有機體。然而，地面上通常發現的臭氧卻是危險的。諸如氮氧化物、一氧化碳和碳氫化合物等物質，通常是人類活動（如車輛排放和化石燃料燃燒）的產物，在炎熱的天氣下，在充足的陽光下進行化學反應形成臭氧。地面臭氧水平的增加可能導致身體的物理後果，如損壞呼吸細胞，咳嗽和胸部緊迫感。然而，研究還發現當暴露於空氣污染（尤其是臭氧）時，人們容易出現抑鬱症狀。


空氣污染如何影響抑鬱症？

美國心理學協會在舊金山灣區對213名青少年進行了為期四年的研究，發現在臭氧水平較高的地區，不論年齡、性別、種族等，青少年的抑鬱症狀都會增加。

由於青少年在戶外活動的時間更長，呼吸速度也更快，因此他們對空氣污染更加脆弱。研究發現，暴露於臭氧會引起炎症，進而導致抑鬱症狀的發生。儘管該研究只對少數人進行了調查，但這種聯繫不容忽視。

通過腦實質發炎，腫瘤壞死因子水平增加。腫瘤壞死因子也稱為TNFα，是一種結合蛋白質和蛋白水解酶的蛋白質，它在海馬和紋狀體中增加，可能導致抑鬱症或焦慮症狀的發生。



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