Dirty air hurts our brains

There’s a well-established link between city dwelling and developing a psychotic illness, and many theories as to why it exists. Do psychotic people gravitate towards the anonymity of a city or is it perhaps linked to urban poverty or poor nutrition? Now, a new study by King’s College London puts the blame on air pollution. The chances of developing psychosis increased by more than 70 per cent in areas with high levels of nitrogen oxides and by nearly 50 per cent in areas with high numbers of particles from fuel. While the new ultra-low emission zone in London and the hefty charges it imposes may not be popular with motorists — similar schemes are planned for other cities, including Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Dundee — such zones aren’t just good for our lung health, but our mental health, too.