Every minute, each of us breathe an average of 12 times, with an average volume of 500 ml per breath. Do you know what is contained within the 6 litres of air around you, that you breathe into your lungs per minute? The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to stay in our home environments for much longer every day – is this something that we should be concerned about?
As an air quality management consultant, I have worked with governments and not-for-profit organisations trying to better understand the ambient, or outdoor, air quality in their jurisdictions. Ambient air priority pollutants from a human health perspective include sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NO2/NOX), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM). Air pollution is a global issue, with the World Health Organisation estimating that air pollution kills seven million people across the world every year. This includes both ambient air pollution, and indoor or household air pollution.
From a health perspective, indoor air pollution can be just as important as ambient air pollution, if not more important. Even during normal times, we spend around 90% of our times in an indoor environment, including our homes, vehicles, workplaces, and recreational environments. Indoor air pollutants include all of the ambient priority pollutants, in addition to molds and VOC’s, or volatile organic compounds. These VOC’s are found in cleaning agents and scents, and can be generated during cooking as well. Particles less than 2.5 microns, called PM2.5, can infiltrate the lungs, tissues and other organs, causing risk of heart disease, and other systemic health issues. Young children, and those who are older or immunocompromised, are at most risk.
However, the good news is that it is very easy to take steps to manage your household, indoor air quality. Here are some ideas:
- Bringing in fresh air – if the air quality and temperature of the ambient (outdoor) air is good, it is best to ventilate your home for 15 minutes every day. Ventilation can be achieved by opening windows in different areas of your home environment, and running fans in your home to allow for proper air flow and exchange.
- Keep your filters clean – you likely have filters on your furnace, air conditioning units, vacuums and hood fans. It is important to check filters frequently and clean according to instructions that the filter manufacturers provide. And make sure to use your cooking fan whenever you are cooking!
- Clean your home frequently – this can be achieved through normal vacuuming, dusting, and mopping to remove dust, mites, and other pollutants. You may also decide to purchase and use an air purifier – but this must also be cleaned regularly!
- Choose Cleaning Products Wisely – many cleaning products produce a multitude of VOC’s, and may cause irritation in your eyes, nose and throat, in addition to headaches and other reactions. Try to use products that are natural and eco-friendly, including lemon and vinegar.
- Reduce Indoor Burning – Remember that kerosene cooking stoves, incense / bakhoor, smoking / shisha, and candles / fireplaces can cause significant increases in PM2.5. Reducing indoor burning will significantly improve indoor air quality.
- Measure to Manage – there are many portable, low cost air pollution monitors available on the market today. If you are particularly sensitive to poor indoor air quality, you may want to consider one of these monitors, so you can track pollution, and make changes accordingly
Our lives will likely revolve around indoor environments more than ever before, as we live through this unprecedented pandemic. The air that we breathe is important to our health, and we should all take steps to ensure that our families are breathing clean and healthy air.
