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

Number 2 is to turn off lights, computers, TVs, and appliances when they’re not in use. Number 3, get the whole family to reuse and recycle to conserve raw materials and energy. Number 6, next time when you need to replace your appliances, buy ENERGY STAR appliances. Or buy them now if you can afford to replacing them. Number 7, buy a vehicle with good fuel economy and low emissions.

Last, but not least, drive less. Walk, walk, and walk. Get the whole family to walk if you can. Carpool, walk, bike, or use public transportation if you can. Combine errands together.

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

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

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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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.

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.

The best way to void these pollutants is to limit your outdoor physical activities. If you live in a heavily polluted area, try not to run, jog, or walk with small children outdoors. Because physical activity in polluted areas can cause you and your children to inhale more pollutants into your lungs, particularly if you have asthma. Check the weather station often, don’t go out if it’s windy.

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.

There are many sources of pollution outdoors, such as:

• Emissions from cars and trucks
• Power plants that burn fossil fuels
• Factories and forest fires

Source: Department of Health and Human Services.

Older adults may be more susceptible to the health effects of toxic chemicals. People who are exposed to pollutants over the course of a lifetime may have health problems when they are older. For instance, long-term exposure to pesticides may cause cancer or dementia.

Lead is a toxic metal that may be stored in bones. In postmenopausal women who were exposed to lead early in life, bone loss can release lead into the bloodstream. This may cause kidney damage, increase the risk of high blood pressure, and decrease cognitive functions.

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