Improve The Air You Breathe
Air is the basis of our lives. Every day, we breathe in and out
20,0000 times, which corresponds to around 3,000 gallons of air - and we need
that every day. The quality of this air has a direct effect on our well-being
and productivity. Air humidifiers improve indoor air by maintaining
optimal humidity of the air.
Advantages of Optimally Treated Air
Your nose, eyes and skin will no longer feel dry, and you will feel more comfortable.
The risk of catching flu is reduced.
The influenza virus survives for less time in rooms with
optimum humidity. You and your family will sleep better. Dry air is not
good for you. Enjoy better and more restful sleep when the humidity is
right. You will be able to concentrate better. You will feel less tired
and your ability to concentrate will improve. Moist air binds dust particles
which reduce the dust in your room this is very helpful to allergy sufferers.
Furniture, wooden floors and paintings will be less likely to crack/deform.
Instruments such as pianos, guitars and violins will need returned less often.
Where does the pollution come from?
All around the earth there is a thick blanket of air called the atmosphere.
Air, like other gases, does not have a fixed shape. It spreads out
to fill any available space, so nothing is empty. But air cannot escape
from the atmosphere as the force of gravity keeps it from floating away from
the earth.
Did you know that indoor air is 20 time more loaded
with pollutants then the air in your street? The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency classifies indoor air pollution as one of the
five most dangerous environmental threats to our health.
Air Pollution
Ever since people first gathered in settlements there has been pollution.
Pollution usually refers to the presence of substances that are either
present in the environment where it doesn't belong or at levels greater than it
should be.
Air pollution is caused by any undesirable substance, which enters the
atmosphere. Air pollution is a major problem in modern society.
even though air pollution is usually a greater problem in cities,
pollutants contaminate air everywhere. These substances include various gases
and tiny particles, or particulates that can harm human health
and damage the environment. They may be gases, liquids or solids.
Many pollutants are given off into the air as a result of human behavior.
Pollution occurs on different levels: personal, national, and
global.
Some pollutants come from natural sources.
Forest fires emit particulates, gases and VOCs (substances that vaporize
into the atmosphere) Ultra-fine dust particles created by soil
erosion when water and weather loosen layers of soil, increase airborne
particulate levels. Volcanoes spew out sulfur dioxide and large
amounts of pulverized lava rock known as volcanic ash. The major types of
air pollution are:
Gaseous Pollutants: A different mix of vapors and gaseous air pollutants is
found in outdoor and indoor environments. The most common gaseous
pollutants are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides,
sulfur oxides and ozone. Several sources produce these chemical compounds, but
the major man-made source is the burning of fossil fuel. Indoor air
pollution is caused by cigarette smoking, the use of certain construction
materials, cleaning products, and home furnishings. Outdoor gaseous
pollutants come from volcanoes, fires, and industry and in some areas may be
substantial. The most recognized type of air pollution is smog.
Smog generally refers to a condition caused by the
action so sunlight on exhaust gasses from motor vehicles and factories.
The Greenhouse Effect prevents the sun's heat from rising out of the atmosphere
and flowing back into space. This warms the earth's surface causing the
greenhouse effect. While a certain amount of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere are necessary to make the earth
warm, activities such as the burning of fossil fuels are creating a
gaseous layer that is too dense to allow the heat to escape. Many scientists
believe this is causing global warming. Other gases contributing to the
problem include chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), methane, nitrous oxides, and ozone.
Acid Rain forms when moisture in the air interacts with nitrogen oxide and
sulfur dioxide released by factories, power plants, and motor vehicles that
burn coal or oil. This interaction of gases with water vapor
forms sulfuric acid and nitric acids. Eventually these
chemicals fall to earth as precipitation, or acid rain. Acid
rain pollutants may travel long distances, with winds carrying them thousands
of miles before they fall as dew, drizzle, fog, snow or rain. Damage to the
ozone layer is primarily caused using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCx). Ozone
is a form of oxygen found in the earth's upper atmosphere. The thin layer
of ozone molecules in the atmosphere absorbs some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV)
rays before it reaches the earth's surface, making life on earth possible.
The depletion of ozone is causing higher levels of UV radiation
on earth, endangering both plants and animals. Particulate Matter is the
general term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in
the air. Some particles are large or dark enough to be seen as
soot or smoke. Others are so small they can be detected only with an
electron microscope. When particulate matter is breathed in, it can
irritate and damage the lungs causing breathing problem. Fine particles
are easily inhaled deeply into the lungs where they can be absorbed into the
blood stream or remain embedded for long periods of time. Climatic Effects:
Normal pollutants rise or flow away from their sources without
building up to unsafe levels. Wind patterns, clouds, rain and temperature
can affect how quickly pollutants move away from an area. Weather
patterns that can trap air pollution in valleys or move it across the globe may
be able to damage pristine environments far from the original sources.
The Air Quality Index
The Air Quality Index is a tool used by EPA and other agencies to provide
the public with timely and easy to understand information on local air quality
and whether air pollution levels pose a health concern. The AQI tells the
public how clean the air is and whether they should be concerned for their
health. The AQI is focused on health effects that can happen within a few
hours or days after breathing polluted air. How does air pollution affect me?
Many studies have shown links between pollution and health effects.
Increases in air pollution have been linked to decreases in lung function
and increases in heart attacks. High levels of air pollution according to
the EPA Air Quality Index directly affect people with asthma and
other types of lunch and heart disease. Overall air quality has improved
in the last 20 years, but urban areas are still a concern. The elderly and
children are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. The level
of risk depends on several factors: The amount of pollution in the air.
The amount of air we breathe in each time. Our overall health.
Other, less direct ways people are exposed to air pollutants are:
Eating food products contaminated by air toxins that have been deposited where
they grow. Drinking water contaminated by air pollutants. Ingesting
contaminated soil. Touching contaminated soil, dust or water.
Reference for this article: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/