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Life

Breathe Easy: Tips for Improving Indoor Air Quality 

By | On August 31,23 | 0 Comment

The air we breathe indoors directly affects our health and well-being. From allergens to pollutants, the quality of indoor air can significantly impact our comfort and respiratory health. In this article, we’ll delve into essential tips and practices to help you create a healthier indoor environment and breathe easier. 

The Importance of Indoor Air Quality 

Indoor air quality plays a vital role in our daily lives. Poor air quality can lead to health issues like allergies, asthma, and respiratory infections. Recognizing the significance of breathing clean air indoors motivates us to take proactive steps to enhance indoor air quality. 

Proper Ventilation: Fresh Air Exchange 

Effective ventilation is key to maintaining good indoor air quality. Regularly exchange indoor air with fresh outdoor air by opening windows and using exhaust fans in areas prone to moisture buildup, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Adequate ventilation helps prevent the accumulation of pollutants and improves overall air circulation. 

Filtering Air with Air Purifiers 

Air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters can significantly improve indoor air quality by capturing particles like dust, pet dander, and pollen. Place air purifiers in high-traffic areas and bedrooms to ensure the air you breathe is free from allergens and pollutants. 

Banishing Tobacco and Smoke 

Tobacco smoke and secondhand smoke are harmful indoor pollutants that can compromise air quality. Establish a smoke-free environment indoors, as cigarette smoke contains harmful chemicals that can linger in the air and affect both smokers and non-smokers. 

Taming Allergens and Dust Mites 

Regular cleaning and decluttering help reduce indoor allergens like dust mites, mold, and pet dander. Vacuum with a HEPA filter and wash bedding regularly to minimize the presence of allergens that can trigger respiratory issues. 

Indoor Plants: Natural Air Purifiers 

Certain indoor plants, such as snake plants and spider plants, can act as natural air purifiers by absorbing pollutants and releasing oxygen. Introduce these plants into your living spaces to enhance air quality while adding a touch of greenery to your home. 

Controlling Humidity Levels 

Maintaining optimal humidity levels is essential for preventing mold growth and improving indoor air quality. Use dehumidifiers in damp areas and ensure proper ventilation to keep humidity within the recommended range. 

Non-Toxic Cleaning Products 

Many traditional cleaning products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can negatively impact indoor air quality. Opt for non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning products to reduce the release of harmful chemicals into the air. 

Regular HVAC Maintenance 

Regular maintenance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is crucial for maintaining indoor air quality. Change air filters regularly, schedule professional HVAC inspections, and ensure proper system function to prevent the circulation of pollutants. 

A Breath of Fresh Air: Prioritizing Your Health 

Improving indoor air quality isn’t just about comfort; it’s about prioritizing your health and well-being. By implementing these tips and practices, you create an environment where you can truly breathe easy, fostering a healthier and more comfortable lifestyle. 

In conclusion, taking steps to improve indoor air quality is an investment in your health and the health of your loved ones. From proper ventilation to using air purifiers and reducing indoor pollutants, each action contributes to creating a cleaner and more breathable indoor environment. 

Matter and energy

Breathe Easy: Guide To Improve Indoor Air Quality

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We tend to think of air pollution as something outside — smog, ozone, or haze hanging in the air, especially in summer. But the truth is, the air indoors can be more polluted than the air outside. The air inside your home may be polluted by lead, formaldehyde, radon, or even volatile chemicals from fragrances used in conventional cleaners. Children, people with asthma, and the elderly may be especially sensitive to indoor pollutants.
To improve indoor air quality, follow these simple steps:
1. Keep your home fresh
Chemicals and allergens can accumulate in household dust for decades. By using a vacuum with a HEPA filter you can reduce concentrations of lead in your home. You can also get rid of other toxins as well as allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites. A HEPA filter ensures that dust and dirt won’t get blown back out in the exhaust. In high traffic areas, vacuum the same spot several times. Don’t forget walls and carpet edges, where dust accumulates. For best results, vacuum two or more times each week and wash out your filter regularly.

2. Keep a healthy level of humidity
Dust mites and mold love moisture. Keeping humidity around 30%-50% helps keep them and other allergens under control. A dehumidifier (and air conditioner during summer months) helps reduce moisture in indoor air and effectively controls allergens, Lang says. An air conditioner also reduces indoor pollen count — another plus for allergy-sufferers.

3. Make your home a no-smoking zone
Perhaps the most important aspect of indoor air pollution is secondhand cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. For the smoker, this addiction causes cancer, breathing problems, heart attacks, and stroke. Secondhand smoke will also increase a child’s risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Matter and energy

Something About Portable Air Cleaner

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Question: What portable indoor air purifier should I buy to remove air pollution inside my home? I want to use the air filters to reduce my wife’s suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity.

Response: If your wife spends most of her time at home in one or two rooms, then placing a suitable portable air cleaner near her in each room should help reduce particle levels – and thus improve the indoor air quality. If she spends time at home in many rooms or your home has an open floor plan, portable air cleaners may not be the best solution. You may want to look at other possible solutions, such as a whole house air cleaning system.

Portable air cleaners are the most common type of air cleaner. They are small and plug into the wall much like a counter-top kitchen appliance or a portable heater. There are many models of portable air cleaners to chose from. In choosing the best portable air cleaner for you, you should consider the following three factors:

Efficiency. Most portable air cleaners use a filter to remove dust and other particles from air that is moved through the filter by a fan. The efficiency of the filter is the fraction of particles removed by the filter. The best performing portable air cleaners have HEPA-grade efficiency, meaning that they remove at least 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles from the air that passes through them.

Continue to Part 2 to understand more about portable air cleaners.

Life

Smoking Ban Not Enough to Clear the Air

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The final implementation of Turkey’s ban on smoking took place in July 2009. It was once thought as a big hail to the public health. But one environmental engineer pinpointed that it might take more than banning cigarettes in enclosed spaces to truly clear the air.


Industrial Pollution Causes Cancer Too

People are still facing the risk of cancer even without being exposed to cigarette smoke. In Dilovası, an industrial city in the Marmara region, levels of air-borne toxins are 30 times higher than European Union standards, adding that 32 percent of deaths in the area in recent years have been attributed to cancer.
300,000 Tons of Sulfur Dioxide

In the southwest city of Yatağan, a coal-fired power plant has released more than 300,000 tons of sulfur dioxide into the air since it opened in 1982. Environmentalists have called for the facility to be shut down.

While smoking bans may well be implemented, other environmental laws are often not enforced, allowing factories to get away with not controlling or filtering their emissions. Indeed, if thesmoke-free air space campaign is meant to be supported, it is much more important to reduce air pollution caused by the industry apart from banning cigarettes.

Human interrelationship

Clean Air Is A Good Business

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Chinese businessman Mr. Liang lives in Beijing, where the air is just horrible. After spending a business trip in the south of France, he came back with a small item to share his pure air experience: A small sealed glass jar of clean Provence mountain air. The result of the jar was 5,250 yuan ($845 at today’s exchange rate) when he auctioned it in front of a group of Chinese artists.

 

“Air should be the most valueless commodity, free to breathe for any vagrant or beggar,” Liang said in an interview. “This is my way to question China’s foul air and express my dissatisfaction.”

Things have gotten so bad that even the authorities fold their hands anymore. Pollution is now one of the top causes of social unrest in China, and even Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that it is a “major problem” and he wants the government to “declare war’’ on smog by removing high-emission cars from the road and closing coal-fired furnaces.

 

Pollution is ‘‘nature’s red-light warning against the model of inefficient and blind development,’’ Li said at the start of the year’s National People’s Congress in Beijing. ‘‘Fostering a sound ecological environment is vital for people’s lives and the future of our nation.”

In fact, the World Health Organization has concluded that air pollution is now the world’s biggest environmental health risk with 7 million deaths per year. Clean air is not only a money business, but also our health business that definitely deserves our effort and attention.

Earth

Clean Air Project in Europe

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It is not surprising to see the bleak pictures from Beijing clearly showing what happens when protection of air quality is not taken seriously. Good air means good quality of life. As a matter of fact, every person breathes in around 15,000 litres of air per day.

 

Although the air quality in Europe is better than that in China, Europeans should continuous their effort to keep their air clean. The air in Europe contains a lot of nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter that make people sick. That’s why nine European NGOs are now collaborating on a new project called Clean Air. They are mainly focusing on transportation and want to show how air quality can successfully be improved.

 

Indeed, it’s time for us to fight against air pollution. The continuing violations of the limits, and the resulting damage caused by emissions, fine particulates and threaten both the climate and public health. The fact is: even if particulates and nitrogen oxide are not visible to the naked eye, it is estimated that in 2010 alone, over 420,000 people died prematurely as a result of air pollution.

 

Clean Air Project started in 2013. The partners have been directing their efforts at many different parties involved in air protection, such as local and regional government offices, transportation companies and the general public. The project spreads examples of best practices and provide forums where experts, decision makers and representatives of civil society can come together to share experiences and expertise. We need clean cars, buses and ships and the right transportation policies — so that everyone can breathe freely.

Matter and energy

Special Treatments for Pollutants

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Pollutants come into different categories. Despite most air purifiers help remove pollutants, not every cleaner has the ability to tackle each pollutant in the same manner. Let’s look into the different type of pollutants in the air around us.

Pet Dander

Pet dander is a powerful allergen that can trigger severe reactions in to allergy-sufferers. The most common treatment would be an air purifier that contains a type of HEPA filter. True HEPA filters are certified and best known for removing allergens of all kinds, especially pet dander.

Dust, Dust Mites and Pollen

If you want to remove more solid particles floating around in the air like pollen or dust mites, a HEPA filter is all you need. Another option that’s especially good for dust is an ionizer. Ionizers are very similar to air purifiers, only their technology utilizes negative ions which attach in the air to the positively charged particles of dust.

Mold and Mildew

Most households have experienced some kind of mold or mildew problems which occur in humid environments. Once mold has spread, it produces airborne spores that can be dangerous to your health. The best treatment out there is an air purifier with a certified HEPA filter, and if it comes with an inbuilt ionizer even better! HEPA filters are great at removing solid particles out of the air, while Ionizers produce negative ions that attach to the spores and neutralize them.

Life

Get Away Pollutants During Home Reconstruction

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Remodelling can make an older home feel new again. But it’s at the same time filling the air with dangerous chemicals and other contaminants that put your family’s health at risk. That’s why it’s important to protect your home’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) throughout the entire reconstruction process.

Demolition is generally the least pleasant and most dangerous step in reconstruction, at least in terms of IAQ. Dangerous pollutants are released by tearing, stripping and sanding paint. This is especially true for homes built before the late 1970s, when lead based paint and asbestos insulation were still commonly used in construction.

Solution: Seal off remodelling areas before you begin. Try to enter the room from the exterior only.

After the completion of demolition, the installation of new components comes. This process has its own IAQ issues. If materials such as stone, tile and wood are cut inside the home, this can create dust that triggers breathing problems, runny nose and watery eyes, especially in those with allergies.

Solution: Protect the indoor air from unnecessary contaminants. Ask your contractor to cut materials and tile outside so that most dust stays outside as well. Leave windows open at least a crack at all times until the fumes are gone.

The key is to plan ahead and pay attention to Indoor Air Quality at each critical stage of reconstruction. When the project is done, “fresh” your new home with a high-quality air purifier to reduce risks of leftover pollutants.

Matter and energy

Control smells in the grow room

grow room

So you want to know about odour control in the grow room. This is just a list of the things you can use to control the odour. Ideally, use a 2-prong approach for the best results. This entails running an ozone generator and an exhaust fan with a carbon filter.

EXHAUST FAN AND CARBON FILTER:

There are several ways to run the carbon filter. First, pre-exhaust the area where you need to exhaust heat (and/or humidity) from the grow room. In this setup, the carbon filter goes into the grow room, where air is drawn first through the filter, then exhausted out of the room. The size of the filter has to be matched to the size of the fan so that the air going through the filter has enough contact time with the carbon to do the thing. If you pump the air through the filter too fast, the carbon can’t do it’s job. So, based upon the amount of heat you’re going to remove, you first determine the necessary fan size, then pick the correct filter for the fan. Don’t confuse with the order.

With the right fan/filter combo, all of the air being exhausted will be clean enough to blow directly outside (or into your house in the winter to utilize the heat and high quality oxygen rich air).

The other way to run a carbon filter is to simply connect the fan to the filter and put it into the area that you’re concerned about with no ducting. In this way, a larger fan with more air movement can be used because the air is being repeatedly drawn through the carbon filter. With this approach, the larger the filter and fan you choose the better.


OZONE GENERATORS:

Ozone use for odour control has a debate of pros and con’s, but one of the benefits is that it kills bacteria, not only in the growroom, but in the exhaust fan and carbon filter. So, if you’ve got an ozone generator treating the air in the room before it enters the carbon filter, it will kill the bacteria that can shorten the life of the carbon.

This dual approach, using ozone and carbon filter to deal with your organic fertilizer odour issues is probably the best overall approach.

Human interrelationship

Moms-to-be, be aware of air pollution

pregnant pollution

When you’re pregnant, there are many things you’ll pay extra caution. The food you eat or the quality of your sleep. However, there’s something important but is also inconspicuous that many pregnant women may well neglect. That’s the quality of the air you breathe for you and your baby.

Air quality is important for us, and it’s particularly critical for those who are pregnant. Studies done by School of Public Health in Columbia University, New York, have shown that kids who are exposed to the highest levels of air pollution before birth have a greater risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms than their less exposed peers.

Those harmful pollutants that are hazardous to the prenatal are the products of fossil fuel combustion, and are known to damage the developing nervous system. Traffic exhaust and residential fuel oil use are the main sources of the combustion.

In response, New York City has already reduced levels of such pollution by establishing anti-idling regulations for trucks and buses, and requiring the city buses to use cleaner fuels. Meanwhile, pregnant women who are concerned about the risks of pollution exposure have their own responsibility. Eating plenty of fresh produce can give good nutrition to offset the effects of pollutants.

On the other hand, while we cannot control the outdoor air we breathe, we still can make our indoor air clean. Find a trustworthy supplier and use qualify air filters in your home. After all, we don’t spend most of the time outside, right?

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