HEALTH
Healthy Lifestyle: 5 Ways To Prevent Air Pollution Inside Your House
Over the decades, industrialization and urbanization have exponentially increased air pollution. This has become a concern for everyone.
However, while we’re all aware of the rising threat of pollution, people often seem to think it’s limited to the outdoors. But in reality, the air in your home can also be quite filthy and just as dangerous as it is outdoors. In fact, it may be more harmful as most people spend most of their time inside their homes. As a result, you may risk developing serious health problems with every breath you take at home. Fortunately, you can prevent air pollution inside your house in five ways.
Improve ventilation
Over time, harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and radon can accumulate inside houses. If such air pollution reaches a harmful level, it can result in chronic breathing problems that can haunt you for life.
Fortunately, it’s possible to reduce the volume of harmful gases to an optimal level by improving the ventilation in your house. One of the best ways to do so is by keeping your windows open and letting the natural flow of air do its work. You can also install exhaust fans to remove stale air, but a central ventilation system best serves this purpose.
One of the most harmful air pollutants ventilation can help you get rid of is asbestos. Commonly found in old construction material, asbestos particles can easily be inhaled and irritate your lungs, causing cancers like mesothelioma. Unfortunately, this disease becomes apparent late in life while people continue to breathe in microfibrils. So get your home checked for damage and asbestos dispersion. In the unfortunate event of a positive diagnosis of fatal cancer, contact a mesothelioma lawyer to secure funds from an asbestos trust fund.
Get rid of harmful household products
While outdoor air pollution can seep into our houses over time, it’s not the only source of pollution. What’s concerning is that air pollution can also be caused by using harmful household products. For example, detergents, disinfectants, paints, and personal care products release harmful particles into the air when they evaporate or are used as sprays. Many household products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well that can cause nausea, respiratory issues, and chronic diseases.
So it’s best to get rid of harmful household products. To do so, you will have to read the chemical components of every product used in your home and eliminate those that are dangerous. Use cleaning supplies and paint that contain the lowest number of VOCs. If you want to completely eliminate air pollution from your house, you can try making homemade DIY cleaners. Moreover, you must avoid using candles, aerosol sprays, and dry-cleaning products altogether if someone has breathing allergies.
Control indoor humidity
A humid house is the perfect breeding ground for fungi like mold and mildew. If allowed to grow, mold can start to pollute the air with decaying matter and spores. Consequently, health problems such as allergies, respiratory issues, and itchy skin can occur, especially in people who are sensitive to mold or have existing diseases. Therefore, you must control humidity to eliminate mold from your house and reduce air pollution.
Improving ventilation in your house can help reduce humidity to a certain degree. Exhaust fans can be quite helpful in removing excess humidity in areas such as the bathroom and kitchen. However, they are not enough to control humidity alone. You will need to keep your house’s interior and exterior dry by ensuring there is no stagnant water. Furthermore, humidity can also be found in air ducts, vents, and HVAC systems. As a result, such areas need to be cleaned every once in a while, to prevent mold growth. Additionally, it’s a good idea to install dehumidifiers in the humid places of your house.
Clean air filters
Filters found in HVAC systems, ACs, and air purifiers are quite effective in cleaning the air in your house. However, dust, mold, and other air pollutants can collect in filters over time. This stops them from serving their purpose by blocking the air and increases the chance of air pollution entering your house. After all, air passing through the dirty air filters will pollute your house. Therefore, it’s essential to clean the air filters in your house at least every week. Vacuum filters and vents must also be cleaned thoroughly frequently to keep the indoor air clean.
Moreover, rugs and carpets serve as dust and germ beds as well. Dust and air pollutants can get trapped in the fibers of rugs and carpets. To ensure the carpets in your house keep acting as effective air filters, clean them at least thrice a week with a vacuum. Otherwise, the dust trapped in them may become airborne and contribute to the air pollution in your house.
Add indoor plants
While air purifiers, filters, and ventilation are good ways to prevent air pollution within your house, they are not enough. To handle the rising levels of air pollution, you will need to add indoor plants that can effectively eliminate harmful gases and other pollution. Plants are not only known to absorb carbon dioxide, but can also absorb other gases such as VOCs, benzene, and formaldehyde. As a result, they can help balance out the air pollution derived from household products and the outdoors. Additionally, a study from NASA has revealed that plants can help reduce mold and bacteria by up to 60% in a room.
However, you must add the right plants to reduce air pollution effectively. One of the best plant species for this purpose is the devil’s ivy. This plant is not only easy to grow and appealing, but it can also absorb benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. You can also grow flamingo lilies that help to remove ammonia, xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde.
Conclusion
Like the air outside our homes, indoor air can also be unhealthy. It can lead to acute and chronic breathing problems. Therefore, it’s crucial to protect yourself by preventing the rise of air pollution inside your house. So, follow the ways mentioned above and live a healthy life.
Umar Nisar was born and raised in the busy city of Abbottabad. As a journalist, Umar Nisar has contributed to many online publications including PAK Today and the Huffing Post. In regards to academics, Umar Nisar earned a degree in business from the Abbottabad UST, Havelian. Umar Nisar follows the money and covers all aspects of emerging tech here at The Hear Up.
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