Coal ash and depression in children aged 6-14 years old

BACKGROUND AND AIM: When coal is burned for energy, coal ash, a hazardous waste product, is generated. Throughout the world, over 1 billion tons of coal ash is produced yearly. In the United States, over 78 million tons of coal ash was produced in 2019. Fly ash, the main component of coal ash contains neurotoxic metal(loid)s that may affect children’s neurodevelopment and mental health. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between fly ash and depressive problems in children aged 6-14 years old. METHODS: Children and their parents/guardians were recruited from 2015-2020. Tobit regression and Poisson regression were used to assess the association between coal fly ash and depressive problems. To determine fly ash presence, Scanning Electron Microscopy was conducted on polycarbonate filters containing PM10 from the homes of the study participants. Depressive problems in children were measured using the Depressive Problems DSM and withdrawn/depressed syndromic problem scales of the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: In covariate-adjusted Tobit regression models, children with fly ash on the filter had higher scores on the DSM Depressive Problems (3.14 points; 95% CI=0.40, 5.89) and the syndromic withdrawn depression (2.63 points; 95% CI = -0.20, 5.46) scales compared with children who did not have fly ash on the filter. Poisson regression supported these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Coal ash is one of the largest waste streams in the U.S., but it is not classified as a hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed the impact of coal ash on children’s mental health. This study highlights the need for further research into the effects of coal ash exposure on children’s mental health, and improved regulations on release and storage of coal ash. KEYWORDS: coal ash; fly ash; children’s mental health; depression; children’s environmental health