What’s good for the environment is good for you
You must be familiar with your city surrendering to the puffy smog. When the black soot from automobiles makes it difficult to breathe, and the city-of-stars has only haze and blur to offer, the need for clean energy becomes more important than ever. As per the World Health Organization, about 7 million people succumb to air pollution worldwide. It is an overwhelming number.
Air pollution is the contamination in the air caused due to pollutants. These pollutants are released from industries, automobiles, burning of coal, and household appliances. The common harmful pollutants include sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, greenhouse gases, particulate matter, and ozone. There are other sources of air pollution like tobacco smoke, burning biological and plastic waste, molds, and pollen's. This outdoor contamination also interferes with the household environment. Air contamination can lead to various diseases and reduce the quality of life.
While we are aware of outdoor pollution and its detrimental effect on our well-being, indoor pollution that is deteriorating our health often goes unnoticed.
A few of the household pollutants we encounter in daily life are:
Disinfectants — Many cleaning products used in our household are packed with chemicals. They contain particle pollutants, greenhouse gases, and volatile organic compounds. The products like floor cleaner, detergent, dish cleaner, and cleaning spray must be used in moderation in a well-ventilated room.
Perfumes — Perfumes contain volatile organic compounds. These VOCs react with the ozone and end up contaminating the air. A little spray from each household can aggregate to pollute the air in large quantities.
Smoke — Smoking tobacco is as harmful to our body as it is to the environment. It is best to avoid it.
Building material — Building materials like lead and asbestos are used in building construction, flooring, furniture, and soundproofing. They can cause allergies, toxicity, and lung diseases.
Exposure to air pollutants can cause temporary symptoms or long-term illness leading to morbidity. The severity of the diseases varies depending on the duration and the type of pollutants. The temporary symptoms affect the eyes, lungs, and respiratory system. It can provoke the symptoms of asthma and also lead to skin diseases. Long-term illnesses include diabetes, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, and reproductive health issues. It may also lead to preterm birth among women.
Our health is determined by the air we breathe. With the advancement in technologies, energy consumption has increased so has the number of pollutants in the air. We can play our part in reducing air pollution and keep up with good health with some easy practices.
7 simple methods we can adapt to reduce air pollution are:
Shop local: Shopping local can cut down emissions caused by traveling. It also enables the livelihood of local businesses.
Use renewable resources: Renewable resources, like solar energy, can be used for many electronic devices.
Take public transport: The use of public transport reduces the fuel consumption manifold. It is environmentally friendly and economically sustainable.
Cut down meat consumption: The animal agriculture industry has reportedly produced 18% of greenhouse gases across the globe. Cutting down its consumption can help reduce the stress on the environment.
Make a home garden: Home garden replenishes air in our surroundings. It also absorbs pollutants and improves the air quality around us.
Practice, don’t preach: Practicing a sustainable lifestyle is easier said than done. We must gradually build the habit of living mindfully. Individual changes can bring massive environmental reform.
Ventilate: Closed indoors can be contaminated for various reasons. It is advisable to keep good ventilation at your house, at all times.
Air pollution can have adverse effects on our health. Even though we cannot control the industrial pollutants we can certainly make small changes in our lifestyle to reduce their impact on our health.
