Air Pollution Talk

Did you know that most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Whether you’re at work, at home, shopping, or eating. Therefore, indoor air pollution is as great a concern as outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution is cause by many factors.

Some of the sources include: gases from oil, gas, or even wood for heating and cooking; cigarette smoking; building materials, such as asbestos insulation and products made from pressed wood; outdoor pollution that come indoors such as radon; cleaning supplies’ chemicals; hair spray and nail polish remover; molds and mildew and pet dander. Any time that your home lacks air circulation, pollutants increase inside your home.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

By controlling the relative humidity level in a home, the growth of some sources of biologicals can be minimized. A relative humidity of 30-50 percent is generally recommended for homes.

Run a dehumidifier in the humid summer months, particularly your basement can help eliminating some potential sources. Set your dehumidifier between 30-50, and be sure to place one in the basement. Another important factor to help indoor air quality is to open windows once in awhile to let fresh air in.

Standing water, water-damaged materials, or wet surfaces also serve as a breeding ground for molds, mildews, bacteria, and insects. House dust mites, the source of one of the most powerful biological allergens, grow in damp, warm environments.

Source: EPA

Other than ground-level ozone, particle pollution is another health threat on the air quality. Particle pollution are tiny solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. This is also called particle matter or PM. You won’t be able to see them. These particles come from dust, fires, motor vehicles, power plants, and factories. Most types of particle pollution are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Particle pollution causes haze. That’s why people tend to see more haze in heavy polluted areas and large cities.

Like the way you would to avoid exposure to other air pollution, you should stay indoors to protect yourself from particle pollution. When the air is hazy, avoid going out or staying outdoors for long period of time if you have asthma or other related problems. Avoid bringing young children out. Stay indoors and plan fun activities at home. The advantage of living in smaller cities and rural areas is that you can enjoy outdoors more often. But the irony is that big cities dwellers tend to go out much more often than rural residents.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Ground-level ozone can harm the environment, crops, and human health. If you already have asthma and bronchitis, exposure to ground-level ozone can make symptoms a lot worse. Because high levels of ground-level ozone can make it difficult to breath deeply, even normal healthy people can experience coughing and throat irritation. In some cases, it and even damage the lining of your lungs.

People with chronic lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis may be more sensitive to the effects of ozone. Ozone can also have a greater impact on the health of children and adults who are physically active outdoors when ozone levels are high. So limit your activities outdoors during those periods, especially for asthma patients, young children and pregnant women.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Ozone is a gas that is naturally found in earth’s upper atmosphere, where it forms the ozone layer. The ozone layer blocks some of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

While Ozone layer protects us from getting all the UV rays, ground-level ozone is a pollutant that can harm the environment, crops, and human health. It is ozone in the lower atmosphere, close to the Earth’s surface. This is one of the main components of smog. Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and heat cause chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds .

Volatile organic compounds are pollutants released by motor vehicles, factories and power plants, and chemicals such as paints and cleaners. Since we live in a modern world and we are exposed to all these wherever we go.

Source: Department of Health and Human Services.

If you wonder what kind of health effects of outdoor air pollution can have on your health, first of all, it can cause your eyes and nose to burn, your throat to itch, and even breathing problems.

In extreme cases, exposure to air pollutants at high levels over a long period of time may lead to cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage. It can cause long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Air pollution doesn’t just affect women, children, and elderly, it affects everyone. Children are especially susceptible to the effects of air pollution because their lungs are developing. Outdoor air pollution also adds more harms to people who have lung and heart diseases because they are more sensitive.

In the U.S., ground-level ozone and particle pollution are two of the most common pollutants and threat to people’s health.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To find out about the level of outdoor air pollution in your community, you can check the daily Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is a measure of five pollutants: ozone (OH-zohn), particle pollution, sulfur dioxide (SUHL-fur deye-OKS-eyed), nitrogen oxide (NEYE-troh-jen OKS-eyed), and carbon monoxide (kar-bun moh-NOKS-eyed). Many newspaper, radio, and television weather forecasts also include the AQI. Learn more about the AQI, see color-coded air quality maps, and find your local AQI online at www.airnow.gov.

When the levels of air pollution are high, you can protect yourself and your family by limiting outdoor physical activity. This is because physical activity can cause you to take faster, deeper breaths, inhaling more pollutants into your lungs.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Outdoor air pollution can cause your eyes and nose to burn, your throat to itch, and even breathing problems. Exposure to air pollutants at high levels over a long period of time may lead to cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Air pollution affects everyone. Children are especially susceptible to the effects of air pollution because their lungs are developing. They also spend more time active outdoors. People with lung and heart diseases are also more sensitive to outdoor air pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on certain air pollutants throughout the United States. Ground-level ozone and particle pollution are two of the most common pollutants and pose the greatest threat to human health in the United States.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Stay inside with the windows closed on high pollen days, if possible.

Use your air conditioner to help filter the air coming into the home. Central air systems are the best.

Remove indoor plants if they irritate or produce symptoms for you or your family.

Source: EPA

Smokers are particularly at risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Second-hand smoke exacerbates or worsens respiratory conditions such as COPD and asthma. Cigarette smoking is responsible for 90% of all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

What you can do:

If you smoke, stop.

Avoid tobacco smoke.

Request that family members, friends or caregivers smoke outside.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency