Tag: Indoor Air Quality

The Power of Plants: Cleaning Your Indoor Air Environment

by Maria Restrepoin More news

September is here and, in many parts of Asia this month marks the beginning of high pollution days. Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New Delhi and other cities may experience in the next months higher levels of pollution than during the summer. But no need to panic because there is a lot we can do to improve the air quality inside our homes and keep the indoor pollution at a minimum.

We are usually concerned about the outdoor air pollution, but know little about the air quality in our homes or offices, where we spend most of our time. In fact, modern furnishings, paints, synthetic building materials, cleaning  and cooking materials all off-gass unwanted chemicals that pollute the indoor air and create health problems for us. Those pollutants are commonly benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene, but we can also find airborne biological pollutants, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, pesticides, disinfectants (phenols), and even radon. Our sensitivity to these gases ranges, but they have initial health effects that limit productivity like headaches, nausea, irritation of eyes throat, or nose; allergies, coughing, dry or itchy skin and inability to focus. Prolonged exposure can cause more severe effects.

Today we want to showcase the benefits of certain plants in helping control your indoor air pollution. During the 1980’s NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America researched how plants could clean the air in space stations. The results showed that plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, some plants even filter volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, chloroform and trichloroethylene. This study is the base for many other more recent studies in this subject.

In Asia, Kamal Meattle is an incredible advocate for the use of plants to clean your indoor air. He agrees that plants alone will not do the work because of the high quantity required (between 6-8 per person per room), nonetheless only one plant per 100 sq feet will already help substantially.

“There are three easy-to-maintain plants that we use for natural air purification. They are the areca palm, mother-in-law’s tongue and money plant. The areca palm and money plant produce oxygen during the daytime while mother-in-law’s tongue produces oxygen during nighttime. These three common houseplants remove chemical toxins from the indoor air, reduce CO2 levels and enrich it with more oxygen. By keeping these plants, we ensure that there is a constant supply of oxygen in the air.”

Kamal Meattle

Among the 50 plants recommended by researcher Bill Wolverton, who participated in the NASA study, the most common and powerful plants at cleaning the air are:

Areca Palm (Areca lutescens), Mother- in- Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria), Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata), Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii), Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans), Rubber tree (Ficus elastica), Golden Pothos (Scindapsus aureau, Boston fern (Nephrolepis), Goosefoot Plan (Syngonium podophyllum), Peace lily (Spathiphyllum).

In addition to improving your air quality, plants reduce fatigue and stress, increase productivity, improve the mood, enhance concentration and help with memory. You only need to be more careful if you have pets, because some of these plants may be harmful for them.

 

Recommended book:

Wolverton, Bill: How To Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home Or Office: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office.

Recommended TED talk:

Trying to sleep but you cannot?

by Maria Restrepoin Featured

Sleep is not the first thought we have when thinking about the effects of air pollution.

A study conducted by Dr. Martha E. Billings, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington was presented in May at the American Thoracic Society International Conference. The study shows that air pollution affects sleep quality.

“Prior studies have shown that air pollution impacts heart health and affects breathing and lung function, but less is known about whether air pollution affects sleep,” said lead author Martha E. Billings “We thought an effect was likely given that air pollution causes upper airway irritation, swelling and congestion, and may also affect the central nervous system and brain areas that control breathing patterns and sleep.”

The study conducted showed that both PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide are linked with poor sleep quality. The higher PM2.5 concentration leads to 50% odds of having poor sleep. Similarly, high levels of nitrogen dioxide increased by 60% the chances of experiencing poor sleep. 

Exactly why, is yet to be studied, but air pollution irritates nose, sinuses and back of throat which affects breathing and ultimately may have an impact on sleep quality. Also, air pollutants can enter the blood and can potentially have an effect on the brain and its breathing regulation capacities, therefore disrupting sleep.

“These new findings indicate the possibility that commonly experienced levels of air pollution not only affect heart and lung disease, but also sleep quality. Improving air quality may be one way to enhance sleep health and perhaps reduce health disparities,” Dr. Billings said

Sleep problems are common everywhere and on the increase. The use of multiple aids to sleep is increasing. This study shows how important it is to look at our environment, know the quality of our indoor and outdoor air and take measures to improve it. Improving air quality in our indoor space may go a long way in helping us having better sleep quality!

Monitor air quality!

Sources:
Neuroscience News
AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY – Air Pollution May Disrupt Sleep
Newsweek – Trouble Sleeping? Air Pollution May Be to Blame, Study Says
The Guardian – Air pollution linked to poor sleep, study finds

ASTHMATIC? Air pollution might be making it worse

by Maria Restrepoin Featured

Today, 235 million people across the world suffer from asthma. Indoor and outdoor pollution can trigger asthma attacks and make symptoms worse.

It is well documented that air pollution can trigger asthmatic reactions in people who are already diagnosed with asthma. The role of air pollution in people developing asthma is less understood. Nonetheless, research funded by the US Air Resources Board has shown that children living in communities with higher ozone levels and/or living closer to busy roads are more likely to develop asthma.

 Asthma: a chronic disease of the lungs. The airways narrow, swell and produce more mucus. Which makes breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

Asthma is rarely fatal but causes sleepless nights, fatigue, reduced physical capacity as well as school and work absenteeism. The use of medication is important, but management of asthma triggers is essential to deal with this chronic disease and to enjoy a good quality of life and overcome the economic burden.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and make symptoms worse because air pollution irritates the lungs and airways. Exposure to long-term air pollution in high concentrations can trigger asthma in both children and adults. A research study showed that people with moderate to severe asthma were 40% more likely to have an acute asthma episode on high pollution days. Moreover, research suggests that if your exposure happens during pregnancy your baby could be more likely to develop asthma because particulates can cross through the placenta to the developing baby. According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) asthma is primarily affected by ozone (smog) and particle pollution (haze, dust or smoke).

Ozone is a gas and contributes to ‘smog’, mostly present in urban areas where there are more cars and in the summer when sunlight increases. Ozone triggers asthma, it irritates the lungs and airways and reduces their function making it more difficult for a person to breathe deeply. It has been directly related to increased asthma attacks, increased asthma related emergencies and increased need for asthma treatment. Small particles are emitted into the air from industrial activity and energy production and can reduce lung function and increase asthma attacks. Moreover, 60% of people with asthma have allergic asthma, which means that allergens such as dust, pollen and pets can  trigger inflammation of the airways and create an asthma attack. As a result of increased exposure to pollution, your airways can be more sensitive to allergens.

In Asia, it is estimated that less than 5% of adults suffer from asthma; and data about elderly asthma is not homogenous across the region, it ranges between 1.3 and 15.3% (5). A recent literature review on this subject showed that asthma was increasing with age in Asia, particularly in Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Iran, India and Bangladesh.

Controlling asthma as well as the triggers that cause it to arise or get worse is important to lead a good quality life and also to reduce its economic burden. Asthma has direct costs in inhalers and medications and has indirect costs from the negative impact of productivity which can be as large as the direct costs. In addition, research showed asthma affects not only work absenteeism but also “presenteeism” (individual loss of function when at work). A study in the US in 2007 estimated that the total cost of asthma to society was USD 56 billion (USD3,259 per person). A separate research in Asia-Pacific estimated that indirect and direct costs ranged from USD184 in Vietnam to USD1,189 in Hong Kong.

HOT TIPS FOR ASTHMATICS

Simple tips to know if air pollution is triggering your asthma attacks:

  • Keep a symptom diary and note daily activities and pollution levels. This will help you see patterns of symptoms linked to pollution levels.
  • When pollution is high and even 24h after you might notice:
    1. Increased sensitivity to other asthma triggers,  
    2. Symptoms are worse and harder to control,
    3. You are using your inhaler more.

Some tips on how to reduce asthma attacks triggered by pollution:

  • Know when and where pollution is bad and plan outdoor activities when or where pollution levels are lower.
  • Limit outside activities and outdoor physical exercise on high pollution days or in high pollution areas.
  • If you do go out, do it earlier in the day before pollution kicks in and stick to back streets, with less traffic.
  • Ensure your indoor air is clean and is not contaminated by outdoor air pollution. Avoid rush hours so that the quality of the air in your car can easily be controlled.
  • Avoid the smoke from barbecues and bonfires.
  • Note that the use of face masks may not make a difference to your asthma symptoms and can actually make breathing feel more difficult.

Sources:

AsthmaUK – Air Pollution and Asthma

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – Air Pollution

NIH – Epidemiology of Adult Asthma in Asi

Children and Air Quality in Asia

by Maria Restrepoin More news

In October 2016, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published the report “Clear the Air for Children” exposing the magnitude of the danger that air pollution poses for children.

The report shows that, in Asia alone, 300 million children live in areas with toxic levels of outdoor air pollution six times greater than the WHO set standard of 10m/m3 with 1.22 billion children in Asia living in areas that simply exceed WHO standards. Even more alarming, is that these estimates only account for exposure to outdoor air and do not include indoor air pollution. Moreover, UNICEF estimates that every year 600,000 children under-five years old die from diseases caused or aggravated by air pollution and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says these estimates could be 50% higher by 2050.

The reason children have a higher exposure when compared to adults is because they breathe twice as fast and their air intake volume is more relative to their body weight. They are vulnerable and exposed to air pollution before they are even born by changes in the placental function.  Air pollution can harm their bodies by affecting their developing organs, particularly their respiratory system and their brain. It has also been shown that air pollution can cause cognitive and physical development delays.  These negative effects are carried over into their adulthood. Studies have shown that children living in highly polluted areas can have reduced lung capacity by up to 20% and are more likely to have respiratory problems either in childhood or later in life.

In Asia, the situation is bleak. Emissions from factories and vehicles are high and with poor regulation, waste is often burnt, energy is mostly coal-fueled and many households burn biomass for cooking. All combined, the outdoor and indoor air quality tends to be among the worst across the world.

UNICEF comes to four conclusions to protect children from air pollution:
  1. Increase efforts to reduce air pollution and therefore reduce disease caused by air pollution as well as reduce the threat to children’s health and development. This includes better management of energy generation, waste management, public transportation, technology on vehicle and factory emissions and naturally more information and knowledge.
  2. Minimize children’s exposure at home, in schools and in those areas where they spend most time.
  3. Improve children’s overall health to reduce health complications from exposure to air pollution.
  4. Improve monitoring of air pollution and its link with children’s health.
What can individuals and families do?
  • Ensure good ventilation;
  • Clean cook stoves;
  • Prevent exposure to tobacco smoke;
  • Increase knowledge on how to protect themselves; and,
  • Better monitor air pollution to better understand time and characteristics of risk.
More air quality monitoring, and more knowledge on air pollution is essential to protect our children!

Source:

NIH – In Utero Fine Particle Air Pollution and Placental Expression of Genes in the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Signaling Pathway: An ENVIRONAGE Birth Cohort Study.

Checking air quality where it really matters!

by Maria Restrepoin More news

We, at meo, are constantly checking air quality in different places. This article will take us to Hong-Kong, Hollywood road the heart of the bustling city, end of November 2017.

We installed one of our  units in Guardian Fitness, a private fitness club, in October 2017. Data were particularly interesting on Wednesday 22nd November 2017, a polluted day, with outdoor PM2.5 at ‘Unhealthy for sensitive groups’ level. Guardian Fitness could be seen as one of the “Safe Heaven” offered to Hong-Kongers, with both PM2.5 and VOC kept in the “Green” zone.

PM2.5 refers to the small particles that we inhale when we breathe. They are tiny enough to go through your lungs, and enter your bloodstream triggering health reactions.

VOC refers to the gases exhaled by new furniture, new carpets, new mats, new paints … each time there is renovation ongoing, or when standard cleaning products are used, as they contain a lot of unhealthy chemicals.

http://guardianfitness.hk/

Now, you know that you have 2 good reasons to join the lessons at Guardian Fitness:
Fitness and clean air!

Are you pregnant? We’ve got you covered! Tips to protect your bump from Air Pollution

by Maria Restrepoin More news

Air pollution is ubiquitous and our desire to have offspring is natural….well at least for some of us! Today we want to bring to you a few facts on what is known about exposure to air pollution during pregnancy for you and your bump.  Here are some useful and easy to follow safety tips.

Let’s start with the facts:

Research has shown that prenatal exposure to pollutants can increase the risk of low birth weight and preterm delivery, which contributes to infant mortality and developmental disabilities. We are usually concerned about outdoor air pollution: ozone, particulate matter etc but other pollutants of concern that we should always keep in mind are those mostly present indoors, such as household cleaners, fumes from paint and carbon monoxide in addition to particulate matter that is present indoors.

Some research has shown that particulate matter affects the fetal development because it alters the intrauterine environment. This ‘early-life’ stress is a contributor to conditions that will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive function, diabetes, obesity and problems in the nervous system later in life.

“Healthy pregnancies in women result in healthy children. Healthy children make healthy adults, societies and nations.” Dr Sherin Devaskar, Mattel Executive Endowed Chair of the department of pediatrics at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA

Source:

Breathe Life 2030 – Air Pollution and Pregnancy (pdf)