Surprising realities about air quality and pollution
Air Pollution- If our city is on the list of air pollution then we have to worry. And, right now this topic is a topic of discussion and concern. We may or may not realize it, but air pollution affects and will affect all of us. Although people spend most of their time indoors, it does not guarantee their protection from external harmful pollutants. Now is the right time to start thinking about air quality!
It may seem like we are capturing pollution outside by staying inside, but in reality we are shutting down pollution inside. Being a pioneer of air science, Dyson’s air purifier purifies indoor air by sense, captures and projects, and captures up to 99.95 percent of particles as small as 0.1 microbes, including bacteria and viruses.
With this in mind, Dyson invites owners of its air purifiers to replace their dirty filters free of charge (Terms and Conditions apply). Filters will be provided on a first come first served basis.
To participate in this campaign, owners must take the following steps: (a) post their experience using Dyson Air Purifier with a picture of their dirty filter, (b) tag dyson india on Instagram / Facebook, (c) capture harmful pollutants in their home Call 1800-258-6888 to get a new filter.
Dyson’s engineers also answer common questions about air pollution and air quality.
- Is Air Pollution Invisible?
Yes, but air pollution attracts attention when we want a smoky or dim atmosphere. We often forget that visible pollution is not the only form of harmful pollution and that invisible air pollution like nitrogen oxides can be present all year round and can be more or less fatal.
- If there is pollution outside, is it better to stay inside?
Home is not always a safe haven and indoor air pollution can be worse than outside. Pollution can occur inside everyday activities, indoors, through surface emissions, and ultimately creates a tangled cocktail of pollutants. When we seal our homes more and more with the intention of keeping pollution out, we may actually be taking it inside.
Every day we inhale 9000 liters of air and spend up to 90 percent of our time behind closed doors. Daily household activities, such as VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) are derived from the use of cleaning supplements, deodorants, and scented candles.
Which are some of the more common indoor air pollutants. Other major indoor air pollutants include gases from cooking and central heating, mounds, allergens, hay and formaldehyde from pet fur or mass-produced furniture. Whether we are at home or in the office, we may be inhaling potentially harmful air. Hence having an air purifier with HEPA and activated carbon ulter to trap pollutants and toxic gases can significantly improve indoor air quality.
- Which is the most harmful in indoor and outdoor pollution?
Indoor and outdoor pollution is generally considered to be different, but outside pollutants, such as vehicle exhaust fumes, hay and mold spores can also enter our indoor space. Once inside, it can react with the pollutants inside, which can lead to a tangled cocktail of dirty air. Similarly, internal pollutants, such as burning wood smoke or cooking fumes, can be emitted from the building through vestilation. There is a difference between pollutants inside and outside, but with proper knowledge we can take simple steps to prevent toxic gases from forming inside the house. For example, we can control our indoor air with an air purifier.
- Is pollution a seasonal problem??
This is a 365 day running problem. Different seasons cause an increase in certain pollutants due to various factors like weather, temperature and human activities. Deteriorating air quality is a global problem and India is one of the worst affected countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India alone has 37 cities out of 3 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world, which is the most neglected issue of air pollution and highlights the need for clean air production throughout the year.
- How does air quality affect our lives?
Air quality is a complex problem and its impact depends on a number of factors, including age, location, health, how active a person is and the time of exposure. This is rare!
At Dyson we spend a lot of time researching the effects of indoor air pollution. Every day we inhale 9000 liters of air and spend up to 90 percent of our time inside a closed door 2 and that too before lockdown. While researching the exact clinical effect of indoor air pollution is ongoing, we know that exposure time is a very important factor and therefore indoor air quality, logically affects most of our people as our exposure time is longer.
- What is AQI (Air Quality Index) and should I care about AQI ranking?
The Air Quality Index (AQUI) is an index used to record air quality on a daily basis. Air pollution is a measure of how soon a person’s health is affected. AQI aims to help people understand how local air quality affects their health. The higher the AQI value calculated from 0 to 500, the higher the air pollution level and the greater the health concerns. The concept of AQI has been widely used in many developed countries for the last three decades. AQI provides fast air quality information in real time.
- Can you give some tips to ensure healthy AQI?
We can do very little to control the quality of the air we breathe out. However we can follow these tips to try and keep our home pollution free.
- Use Cleaning Products Wisely: Some of the VOCs we find in our homes are on chemicals in the cleaning products we use on kitchen surfaces, bathrooms, windows. So using natural cleaning products can help keep VOC levels in your indoor air low.
- Vacuum regularly: Dust can be seen in the air when you blow dust on the sofa or play with the cushions. This dust can stay in the air and be inhaled. However a regular vacuum is one of the easiest ways to reduce particulate pollution in the home.
- Keep fragrance moderate: We enjoy certain things in the home, such as scented candles can be a source of indoor air pollution. Such candles should be used sparingly and in the evening.
- Be careful when inhaling fresh air: If you live in a high-traffic area or near a busy road, opening a window can allow gases such as outside pollution, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide to enter your home.
- Ensure ventilation during cooking: Heating oil can produce particulate pollution and the use of a gas stove can produce gaseous pollutants such as nitrogen oxides. Open the windows or use mechanical ventilation such as a purifying fan to help flush out the fumes from kitchen appliances while cooking or to expel polluted air if the outside air is clean enough to help filter out contaminants.
- Use an Air Purifier: An excellent air purifier can absorb even the smallest allergens and pollutants as PMO.1, but it should also be able to filter out harmful gases like VOC, nitrogen oxides etc. to purify the whole room.
