Khatri says. The fumes can cause inflammation that can make it more difficult for people with chronic lung conditions to heal from infections. It can also worsen inflammation due to other triggers, such as allergies. There are also likely longer-term effects from ongoing exposure that are more difficult to measure, such as the likelihood of lung cancer from radon exposure, as well as secondhand and thirdhand smoke.
Consider using air filters and getting your HVAC heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems checked regularly. Also, air purifiers and aromatherapy can often make air quality worse unless they are the right kind, Dr. They need to be HEPA high-efficiency particulate arresting air filters. It is not enough simply to comply with air pollution legislation - you must also minimise the environmental impact of your business in many different ways.
Taking active steps to reduce air pollution can benefit your business. For example, limiting emissions and improving your processes can save you money and enhance your reputation not only with your staff, but with your customers and the local community.
This guide outlines how to comply with air pollution legislation and the benefits of keeping air pollution to a minimum. It also includes information on checking and controlling air pollution and protecting others from pollution.
In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that 30 percent of global diseases are a result of indoor air pollution [12]. For example, one of the most common indoor pollutants is formaldehyde. Sources of formaldehyde are everywhere around us. It can be found in furniture, insulation, textiles, wallpapers, glues, detergents, softeners, disinfectants, cosmetic products and even in electronics [13]. But did you also know that increased concentrations of formaldehyde cause irritations, asthma and eczema?!
And since you have already learned how to help reduce outdoor air pollution, it is time to have a look at some preventative measures that will teach you how to improve air quality in your home and office.
Very elegant solution to improving air indoors, that would also have a beneficial effect on our health, is keeping houseplants. Many houseplants have the same ability as trees to metabolize air pollutants from indoor spaces as well as refresh air by removing carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen levels. Plants with large leaves that originate from tropics and rainforests are especially effective in doing so. Common indoor toxins these plants can absorb include compounds such as formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, trichloroethylene, toluene, octane and carbon monoxide [14].
Can there be any easier solution how to get better air quality in your home than surrounding yourself by pretty flowers? Opening your windows fully at least once a day for three to five minutes can replace stagnant and polluted indoor air with fresh air from outside. It is important to let the air in your house circulate even for short periods of time because this way you let accumulated toxins out and decrease humidity that gathers from many indoor activities like cooking, doing laundry or taking a steamy shower.
One of the common issues of well-insulated houses is that indoor-outdoor air exchange is entirely disabled. While this is a desired effect when it comes to preserving heat and energy, it is not the best for maintaining healthy air quality inside. Do not forget to open your windows to ventilate a room if you must use any volatile chemicals, such as those found in paint strippers and paints. Better yet, look for low- or no-VOC products to avoid being exposed to the toxic fumes from these products in the first place.
The majority of the air fresheners, detergents, paints, and cleaners on the market contain toxic substances, such as volatile organic compounds VOCs , that easily vaporize into indoor air. VOCs represent a variety of chemicals derived from petroleum, for example, formaldehyde, benzene, perchloroethylene and chlorofluorocarbons.
Some symptoms include irritations, nausea, dizziness, asthma, liver and kidney failures, central nervous system damage and cancer [15]. To minimize your exposure to these chemicals, choose products that have been made with natural substances, and do not produce harmful fumes. A few great tips to stick to:. Essential oils are potent plant extracts that can be used for many purposes, including cleaning, purifying and freshening indoor air.
They also offer an eco-friendly, healthy, and often more effective alternative to many chemical and synthetic products. Using high quality essential oils in a diffuser will not only produce a nice scent throughout a room, you will also gain many health benefits from the complex natural compounds that the essential oils contain. For example, lavender oil with eucalyptus oil have calming properties; peppermint and chamomile oils are good for digestion and relieving symptoms of cold; rosemary oil improves concentration and memory.
You can also use essential oils to make your own homemade cleaning products and personal care products. Some favorite oils that have been used for skin and hair are rose, cedarwood, thyme or clary sage oils. For purposes of purity, safety, and to experience the most benefits, be sure to use only therapeutic grade essential oils from a reputable company. Radon is an invisible, odorless and radioactive gas that naturally seeps up from the soil and bedrock of the Earth.
It is one of the products of the radioactive decay of uranium, which can be found naturally in all rocks on this planet. Most houses draw less than one percent of their indoor air from subjacent soils, but when your house is built on a highly permeable soil and foundations are not properly sealed, more than 10 percent of indoor air can come from the ground. This can lead to increased radon accumulation in the indoor air, even though its concentration in the soil is within safe limits.
It is good to know that radon can also seep from some building materials, such as granite countertops, alum shale concrete or volcanic tuff [13]. Radon is after smoking the second most frequent cause of lung cancer [13] , so it is important to have your home tested for it. The testing procedure is very simple and inexpensive.
When radon levels in your house are above limits, some mitigation strategies for reducing its concentration need to be applied. Do not smoke inside your home.
Cigarette smoke contains up to 70 carcinogenic substances and toxins that remain in the indoor air for a long time. Passive exposure to the cigarette smoke can also cause serious health problems to other family members and pets.
Some of the health deteriorating compounds found in smoke include lead, arsenic, ammonia, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. By smoking in a confined space, the level of these compounds quickly exceeds safe limits without you even realizing the danger associated with inhaling them. For example, nitrogen dioxide contributes to seemingly unrelated health problems such as ear infections and development of food allergies in children.
We do many activities at home that make rooms damp. But did you know that in humid environments hundreds of different bacteria species, fungi and molds thrive? And that breathing their spores affects the health of your skin and respiratory tract? Keep your home dry to prevent mold and mildew from proliferating. The U. Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping an indoor humidity level of 30 to 60 percent.
You can do this by opening windows to exchange air inside your house. Remember that stagnant air retains all the moisture from your activities, so you should allow proper air movement by creating a draft inside at least once a day.
Use exhaust hoods or fans to reduce the level of moisture that can travel throughout the air when you cook or take shower. When showering, keep the bathroom door closed to not let excess humidity out. Jump to main content. Contact Us. Carpool, use public transportation, bike, or walk whenever possible. Follow gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery, being careful not to spill fuel and always tightening your gas cap securely.
Keep car, boat, and other engines properly tuned.
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