Indoor Air Pollution: Effects and Solutions

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Indoor Air Pollution

Health effects from indoor air pollution can be immediate and short-lived. Or they may be severe and not show up until years after repeat exposure. Some of the most common symptoms are sore throat, headache and cough, as well as itchy, runny eyes and nose. More severe symptoms include chronic breathing problems, heart disease and cancer.

If you suspect your living space is polluted, don’t despair. You can easily implement several solutions, including AirRestore. If you’re unsure of whether your home has a problem, ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you suffer from any of the symptoms listed above, but feel better soon after leaving?
  • Are many of the potential sources of indoor air pollution found in your home?
  • Is the air in your house poorly ventilated, humid, or smelly and stuffy?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have indoor air pollution, but is a pretty good indication.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce indoor air pollution is to attack it at the source. If it’s something like asbestos, you can simply seal it off to prevent exposure. But if it’s something like a gas-cooking stove or your beloved family pet, that’s where it gets a little tricky. No one can expect you to seal off your stove and there is no way your fur-baby member of the family is going anywhere.

Ventilation is extremely helpful in decreasing indoor air pollutants. Since most heating and cooling systems simply recirculate the air rather than bringing in fresh air, you’ll want to open your windows and doors when the weather is nice. Running window or attic fans and bathroom and kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors can help as well. This is especially helpful when using items with potentially harmful chemicals like paint.

For those of you who live somewhere with high outdoor humidity or concentrations of outdoor pollutants, ventilation might not be the best option for you. It could actually worsen your indoor air pollution. Try to keep the humidity in your home low. A level of 30-50% is ideal, as higher levels encourage dust mites and mold growth.

If you’re concerned about using household cleaners and the potential harm they may cause, you have a couple of options. The first is to carefully follow the instructions on the label, use them in well ventilated areas, and be sure to store and dispose of them safely. The second is to pick out a product with non-harmful ingredients. If you’re not sure, the easiest way to tell is if the product doesn’t list its ingredients or has any “warnings” on it, you might want to keep looking. That probably isn’t the best option.

Ventilation, controlling your humidity levels and using safe products inside are great options. A solution to utilize both ventilation and controlling humidity levels is AirRestore. It virtually eliminates all odors and can even kill mold. It gives your indoor air the energy it needs to clean itself, much like the sun gives the air outside the energy to keep itself clean. The sources of indoor air pollution are many and varied, but so are the solutions. Choose what works best for you and keep your indoor air pollution under control or even eliminate it all together.

Air Pollution Linked to 1 in 8 Deaths Worldwide

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The World Health Organization released a study this week with sobering statistics: One in eight deaths worldwide is attributable to air pollution. In 2012, that was 7 million lives lost due to health problems from exposure to dirty indoor or outdoor air.

Though awareness of this problem has been growing, those numbers are staggering. The data gathered in this study points to a greater risk of heart disease and stroke associated with pollution than was known before. In fact, the majority of air pollution-related deaths result from cardiovascular disease. You can see a breakdown in the pie chart at left.

The results of the study emphasize the importance of breathing clean, fresh air, and the major impact dirty air can have on our health. Dr. Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health emphasized the importance of addressing this major issue. “Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution; the evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe,” Neira said.

You can read the news release the WHO published about the study by clicking here. Or, you can read the CNN article based on the WHO’s research here.

Take AirRestore on your skiing adventures.

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Have the Winter Olympics in Sochi made you eager to do some downhill skiing of your own? Before you grab your gear and hit the slopes, make sure you have your corded Air Naturalizer packed! It will come in handy in several ways:

On the drive: If you are heading to the mountains in an automobile, keep the air fresh while you drive by using AirRestore. It’s too cold right now to roll the windows down for fresh air, but a corded AirRestore Air Naturalizer and car adapter (available through AirRestore) will do the trick!

In the chalet/cabin/hotel room: Plug in your Air Naturalizer when you arrive to tackle pollutants and odors left behind by cleaning staff and previous occupants.

After skiing: After a long day on the slopes, your boots and other gear are going to need a little help in the odor department. Place items needing freshening in your duffel bag. Plug in your Air Naturalizer and place it in the bag with your gear. Zip the bag closed and let the Air Naturalizer work for a few hours. Then pull out your fresh-smelling gear! This also works great for boots – set the Air Naturalizer inside each boot and let it run for an hour or so (depending on the strength of the odor).

Clean air is crucial for daycare centers

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http://www.dreamstime.com/-image23363038Clean Air and Daycare Centers

How clean is the air in your child’s day care center? Is it clean enough for young children to be breathing every day? Harmful contaminants build up quickly indoors. Everything from outdoor air pollution to off-gassing from carpets to allergens and germs can accumulate in the home, causing all kinds of problems. Clean air and daycare centers is an important concern for parents.

Exposure to dirty air can be dangerous for babies. A study published by the American Thoracic Society says dirty air can increase the risk of infants developing bronchiolitis, a serious respiratory infection.

Dirty air and asthma: The March of Dimes says polluted air can worsen symptoms for young children with asthma.

Air contaminants and autism: Harvard researchers found pregnant women who were exposed to certain pollutants at high levels were twice as likely to have an autistic child compared to pregnant women who lived in areas with low pollution levels. You can read more about that study here.

The AirRestore Air Naturalizer can help keep air clean for babies and children by removing the particles that shouldn’t be there — like pollution, allergens, bacteria and particles that cause odors.

Other great uses for AirRestore in homes with small children:

Diaper duty: Using an AirRestore Air Naturalizer is a great way to stay on top of baby-related odors, like those around the garbage and the stinky diaper pail. For a baby who spits up frequently, the Air Naturalizer also can be the perfect way to keep those dirty-laundry smells under control.

Got a smelly pile of shoes at the door? Plug in an AirRestore Air Naturalizer to keep the odor at bay.

Spilled milk: Remove the smell from carpet or upholstery by placing the Air Naturalizer face-down over the spot for several minutes. If the spill has been there for a few days, spray a mist of water over it, then use the Air Naturalizer to pull the odors out of the fabric.