Air filters to improve health at home

There is nothing healthier than a walk outdoors, a jog along the paths that are offered in local parks, or indeed in the many forests that are close to the big cities where many of us live surrounded by tall buildings, shopping malls, paved streets and concrete. Often the sunlight barely finds its way in between the tall buildings that are now our homes and workplaces, especially in highly populated urban areas.

In many of these cities, smog pollution is so high that leisurely strolls have become a dangerous health issue and in some places, masks to breathe properly are already in use. As a result, many of us take refuge in the four walls of our homes, thinking that we will find less pollution and cleaner air inside. However, unless the place is permanently ventilated, this is wrong.

Pollution in cities

Air pollution has become a serious urban problem, with the most likely causes being excessive traffic, factories that are located in and around the cities which do not effectively control emissions of gases and particles that sometimes exceed the proposed health and safety for the city's inhabitants.

According to WHO figures, around seven million people died due to air pollution in 2012, which is an alarming figure considering that we all share the same planet. Therefore precautionary measures in homes are needed, and there are some companies which are now engaged in offering different solutions to this serious problem.

According to the same WHO figures, safety limits are between 10mcg / m3, but in many large cities pollution has far exceeded this level, necessitating the orange warning and preventive measures.

Air in homes and offices, if there is no adequate ventilation, has been found to be even more polluted than outside. However, there are new products on the market that allow better air quality in homes. One such product is called a filter or air purifier.

What do these air filters do?

Air filters act by cleaning the pollutants in the air we breathe, such as mould, dust and tobacco smoke, pollen and other elements such as human hair and pet hair, thick dust, spores, scales, mites, gases such as mercury, etc. sucking them through a filtration system, which helps us to improve the quality of the air we breathe and especially eliminate the symptoms of allergies. Air filters can improve the air quality in a home environment by up to 99%.

There are a great variety of devices and designs depending on requirements and the size of your living space, and the filters of this equipment must be replaced periodically to enable proper functioning.

Many purifiers in existence today also have an ionisation system that releases negatively charged ions which join on to positively charged particles such as pollen or dust, in order to trap these impurities more effectively and thus cleansing the air.

Possible solutions

As an immediate measure, purifiers and air cleaners offer a solution to the various rooms of the house, and their cost and installation are very affordable.

In many cities, transit is restricted and this promotes greater use of public transportation.

The use of bicycles also helps to improve air quality, since they are considered a means of “clean transport” and they also serve as physical exercise which improves health.

Electric vehicles are another option that are becoming more widely accepted in large cities.

It is necessary to improve air quality in our cities to avoid serious diseases.

About the author