Breathing clean air is essential for a healthy body. In the current research of the World Health Organization, 92% of people around the world breathe polluted air. In this research, they found particular matters in the air such as sulfates, sodium chloride, ammonia, and mineral dust. Back in 2012, one out of nine deaths was related to air pollution.
These air pollution are both outdoor and indoor pollution. China had the most deaths related to air quality, followed by India and Russia. Air pollution is continuously rising in many parts of the world.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is one of the largest environmental threats that we have. It is killing seven million people a year. Air pollution is both an obvious and subtle killer. It causes lung cancer, acute respiratory infection, heart disease, stroke, and chronic pulmonary disease. Air pollution is also causing poverty in the world. The projects and acts made in hopes of eliminating air pollution are causing countries to spend billions of dollars a year.
This type of pollution is man-made which means that these deaths caused by air pollution are preventable if we stop making air pollution. The air in urban areas is becoming more polluted each day. In the recent study of the world population, approximately 68% of the world’s population will reside in cities for the next three decades. Over the years, cities are becoming more and more dangerous due to their pollution.
Indoor Pollution
Most people think of air pollution as something that only happens outside of their homes. People must start to realize that air pollution exists in our very homes. Indoor air pollution comes from lead or home dust, molds, and bacteria. Some pollutants are also brought to our homes such as the bacteria attached in a package, air from outside, and the subtle dirt we bring home whenever we go out.
Identifying indoor air pollution is important to keep you and your family safe. Children, the elderly, and people with asthma are prone to indoor pollution. To maintain the health and comfort of your family, you need to invest your time and money in keeping your house clean from air pollution. Here are the things you can do to secure your home:
1. Clean Your House
A clean house is less likely to attract air pollution. You need to clean every corner of your house regularly. Wipe off all the visible dust and vacuum the rest. There are certain areas of your house that you can’t clean often so you need to check those places from time to time. You need to clean your floor regularly because dust particles can seep into the floorboard especially if you have wooden floors.
Vacuum the rugs and carpet almost every day to make sure that no small particles of dust can stay in the carpets.
2. Air Ducts
Having air ducts in your home is great for ventilation. But over time, air ducts can accumulate dust and other small particles that can be harmful to you and your family’s health. Small particles from the ducts can fall into the floor and your food. The dust and bacteria accumulated in the air ducts can lower the air quality of your home.
Consider checking your air ducts and analyze if it’s the right time to clean them. You can always call air duct cleaning services to help you out in this situation.
3. Invest in Air Purifiers
Air purifiers or mostly known as HEPA Filter. Air purifiers also function in the same way as air ducts. It distributes and filters the air that circulates around the house for better air quality. These air purifiers help trap dust, allergens, and pet dander for the safety of your family. It also serves as an air humidifier that keeps track of a healthy level of humidity in the house.
Some air filters can be expensive but investing in them is worth it. It will keep the air you breathe fresh and clean for the comfort of your family.
4. Indoor Plants
There are a lot of indoor plants that can increase the air circulation of the house. Some of them are even allergy-friendly such as the Peace Lily, English Ivy, Snake Plant, and the Bamboo Plant. These indoor plants can help produce more oxygen and help purify the air in an organic way.
Keeping the air we breathe clean and fresh is a way to reduce air pollution, not just in our homes but for the rest of the neighborhood. We all need to invest our time and money to clean the air in our homes to keep our family healthy and comfortable.