When pollution comes knocking at your front door
Why everyday items such as cleaners and carpets pose health hazard...and how to reduce the risks
When we talk about air pollution, the first things that spring to mind are fumes billowing from car exhausts, or toxic gases escaping into the skies from sprawling factories.
Few of us would even give a second thought to the quality of air inside our homes.yet indoor air pollution can be a major health hazard.
The air we breathe – whether outside or indoors – can have an adverse effect on our wellbeing.
With the average person spending 90% of their life indoors, particularly during lockdown, this isn’t something we can ignore.
Indoor air pollution occurs when there is a build up of pollutants to the extent that it damages a person’s health. The My Heath, My Home campaign, which aims to warn people about indoor air pollution, says indoor can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and contain up to 900 potentially dangerous chemicals and particles. As homes are becoming more airtight, there is a greater chance that pollutants will accumulate, thus creating a higher health risk. Professor Hazim B Awbi from the University of Reading recently predicted that by 2050, without intervention to tackle indoor air pollution, based on current trends, there will be an 80% increase in the number of people with asthma symptoms.
Jessica Kirby, head of health advice at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, says there are many factors that can affect the quality of the air in our homes, from pets, dust mite and smoke to mould and chemicals from cleaning products.
But the level to which they affect different people can differ quite significantly.
“Everyday things, such as cooking and cleaning, can reduce air quality at home,” she said.“everyone is at risk from indoor air pollution but most of us will not be affected.
“If you’ve got chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiectasis or any other lung condition, you’re much more likely to be affected by poor air quality. “Children and young adults can also be at risk because they have faster breathing rates and their lungs are still developing.
“Their airways are smaller, so inflammation caused by pollution can cause them to narrow more easily than in older people.
“Pollution can also interact with allergens to cause