Environmental Toxins & Mental Health

"Environmental Toxins & the Brain" (2015)

Science for the Public www.scienceforthepublic.org "Working Science" mini-documentary series.  

Philippe Grandjean, M.D., D.M.Sc., Professor and Chair, Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark; Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health.  

JAMA Network:  Childhood Lead Exposure, Adult Personality and Later-Life Mental Health (2019)

US E.P.A. Radon Zones

CO Dept. of Public Health & Environment --- Radon

Colorado is one of Several States that could accurately be described as Radon Central

Quite frankly Colorado is NOT in the middle of a War Zone.

Yet, Coloradans as a group have a relatively high level of suicide and significant Mental Health issues. 

​That is why it is so important to investigate other possible environmental factors that may be exacerbating the situation.

We've talked a lot about ALTITUDE.  Below, we briefly examine RADON EXPOSURE.

RADON & Mental Health

So this is a very mixed bag:  

• Radon Exposure is the #1 Cause of Lung Cancer among people who have never smoked
• In mice, small amounts of radon may serve as an anti-depressant, and
• Radon has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinsons

So we would say if Colorado is experiencing a higher level of mental illness in a relatively wealthy state we NEED to Investigate RADON as another factor.

​This may be like Altitude it MIGHT work more powerfully on people with an existing pre-disposition.

If there is anything we want to say about MENTAL HEALTH ---IT IS that  there is often not just 1 factor -- there are multiple factors interacting in very complex ways with individual biologies and environments.

​2020:  "It cannot be concluded, although it is observed, that there is a possible causal association between radon exposure and neurodegenerative diseases."

Conclusion (2020):

​Radon-rich hot springs could alter the proportions of lymphocyte subsets and possibly affect immunologic functions.

​Questions
        
           What Radon is most known for is as the leading cause of non-smoking lung cancer.

             Are people who have some neuro-developmental inflammation more at risk from some type of radon exposure?

              Additionally, when we think about a "SAFE" level of radon that is based generally on the AVERAGE PERSON --- but what about the person with neuro-developmental inflammation ---- should that safe radon value be different?
​

​Association of Radon Background and Total Background Ionizing Radiation with Alzheimer's Disease Deaths in U.S. States. (2017)

​Abstract

BACKGROUND:Exposure of the brain to ionizing radiation might promote the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE:Analysis of AD death rates versus radon background radiation and total background radiation in U.S. states.

METHODS:Total background, radon background, cosmic and terrestrial background radiation measurements are from Assessment of Variations in Radiation Exposure in the United States and Report No. 160 - Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States. 2013 AD death rates by U.S. state are from the Alzheimer's Association.

RESULTS:  Radon background ionizing radiation was significantly correlated with AD death rate in 50 states and the District of Columbia (r = 0.467, p = 0.001).

Total background ionizing radiation was also significantly correlated with AD death rate in 50 states and the District of Columbia (r = 0.452, p = 0.001).

Multivariate linear regression weighted by state population demonstrated that AD death rate was significantly correlated with radon background (β= 0.169, p < 0.001), age (β= 0.231, p < 0.001), hypertension (β= 0.155, p < 0.001), and diabetes (β= 0.353, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Our findings, like other studies, suggest that ionizing radiation is a risk factor for AD. Intranasal inhalation of radon gas could subject the rhinencephalon and hippocampus to damaging radiation that initiates AD. The damage would accumulate over time, causing age to be a powerful risk factor.

"Pesticides tied to ADHD in Children" (2010)

Harvard H.H. Chan School of Public Health: Marc Weisskopf, Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology 
  

NBC:  "Toxic Metals in Baby Food more Widespread than Thought, new study shows." (2019)