Air is a vital resource to any living
organism. An average human breathes in over 3000 gallons of air (oxygen) each
day. Whilst the air contains essential elements, it still gets polluted.
Polluting the air means introducing materials into the atmosphere which are
harmful to any living organism. The air pollutants come in two categories: Air
pollutants and Secondary air pollutants.
The primary pollutants come directly from
the source while the secondary pollutants are compounds converted to harmful
substances through chemical reactions. According to studies, close to 5
million people die every year as a direct result of air pollution and many
of them from indoor air pollution.
Indoor air pollution is not a new phenomenon
in our homes. Indoor air pollution comes from various sources such as modern
furniture, fireplaces and stoves, paints and solvents, cleaning products, fumes
from garages, mold, bacteria, and cigarette smoke. Fortunately, there are some
great tricks you can implement in order to combat indoor air pollution. These
are the seven best:
Identify the source of air pollution
When you identify the source, you will be in
an excellent position to know how and which methods you can use to stop the
source from spreading. The common causes of indoor air pollution include
particulate matter, ground-level
ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead.
However, the primary source for most indoor air pollution is the ground-level
ozone caused by the reaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
Regularly opening the windows
This is an essential way to combat indoor air
pollution, so long as the air outside is considered safe. In some cities, this
may not be the case, but for most of us it is. By opening the windows daily,
you will be allowing fresh air into the house which also improves the
circulation of air as it will allow the fumes to quickly exit your home while
the fresh air is quickly getting in.
Regularly cleaning air filters
Vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and air
conditioners play a key role in maintaining the quality of air indoors.
However, their filters may become weak due to the accumulation of particles of
dust and other materials. Regular cleaning of the air filters will increase
their effectiveness, which will in turn minimize contaminants in the air more
efficiently.
Plant more plants
Some plants such as the English Ivy and
Peace Lily are very instrumental in minimizing the amount of carbon monoxide in
the air. These plants act the same way as the human liver. They can filter
dangerous compounds and harmful chemicals from the air. They do this by absorbing
the toxins and ‘digesting' them through their stems and roots and finally out
through the soil. Other plants that you may consider are the bamboo palm and
any of the Dracaena trees.
Use lead-free products and paints
Lead is one of the more dangerous air
pollutants. Lead is in most of the products and paints we use at home. Even
some of the toys your children play with can contain a dangerous amount of
lead. Always check to ensure they are lead-free by calling the manufacturers of
that specific product. It is also important to always check electric and gas
appliances to ensure there are no leaks or shorts in the wiring. Also, avoid
burning trash as it may contain materials made from lead. Check for the right
way of disposing of waste or contact the relevant authorities that deal with
garbage.
Get a humidifier or dehumidifier
If you are living in wet areas, you will
also have to combat indoor air pollution. There is minimal dust in wet areas
but a higher proportion of dust mites and molds as they tend to thrive in humid
areas. In this scenario it is highly advisable to get a dehumidifier. A
dehumidifier will reduce the humidity levels, therefore, making your home less
vulnerable to mildew, mold, and dust mites. On the other hand, if you are
living in dry areas consider getting a humidifier. A humidifier will increase
the amount of humidity in the air. By having a sufficient amount of moisture in
the air, it will mean less opportunity for dust and other air pollutants to
circulate and will significantly reduce nasal dryness and makes it easier to
breathe in air which by now should be getting a lot cleaner.
Get an air purifier
The final touch to really take care of the
problem once and for all, is to install an air purifier. The basic concept
behind air purifiers is to remove most of the air pollutants that cause
discomfort as possible. Air purifiers function by filtering out the harmful
particles such as dust, pollen, and other contaminants from fumes and paints
through several different filters before finally blowing out the clean filtered
air out the other side. Good air purifiers will come with HEPA filters, that
are capable of removing 99.9% of all airborne particles.
You need to pay close attention to the size
of room each air purifier is capable of dealing with. If the rooms in your
house are on the large side, you may have to get a fairly big purifier in order
to handle the extra work load.
We're now starting to recognize that people
living in different environments require different machines to fully purify the
air. For example if you live in dry climate, in the past you would have
required both an air purifier and a humidifier in order to fully clean the air
in your home. As technology has advanced in the past few years, you can now buy
all in one humidifier air purifiers that can clean the air at the same time as adding a
bit of humidity to it – both actions significantly reducing the harmful
elements contained in the air.
If you put all these steps into practice,
the air inside your home will be cleaner than you ever imagined possible.
There's a wide range of health benefits of clean air in your home, some of which you may never have considered.
