Using a coal or peat fire could cause higher levels of depression and anxiety, a new study finds.
The study from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) examined the effects of long-term exposure to the burning of solid fuels.
It finds that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with "poorer mental health in older people."
One of the most damaging forms of air pollution is fine particulate matter - known as PM2.5 - which is caused mainly by burning solid fuels like coal, peat and wood for heating.
It showed that higher annual average PM2.5 levels were "significantly associated" with higher depression and anxiety.
On Newstalk Breakfast ESRI Professor and paper author Anne Nolan said the research was extensive.
"These are really small particles that can penetrate right into your lungs and cause all sorts of health issues," she said.
"We had data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), we have data from the respondents on their mental health, and we linked that to annual levels of air pollution over a 17-year period.
"We found that people who are living in areas that have higher levels of this type of air pollution had higher levels of depression and also anxiety".
'Any type of air pollution'
Prof Nolan said that, while other factors like socioeconomic circumstances could also be contributing, the study took those factors into account.
"We kind of stripped out the effect of other potential factors that might lead you to have higher depression or anxiety," she said.
"What we found is that, even when you take those factors into account, living in these areas with higher levels of air pollution was associated with poorer mental health.
"Overall, the evidence is really pointing to the fact that any type of air pollution - and really low levels of air pollution - is bad for our health".
Prof Nolan added that limits set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for 'safe' levels of air pollution have been coming down in recent decades - with "most monitoring stations in Ireland" exceeding these limits.
The research used data on the annual average level of PM2.5 over a 17-year period from 1998 to 2014.
The study is based on data before a ban on burning smoky coal and wet wood came into effect in 2022.
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