Air pollution results from the release of harmful substances into the environment, including harmful emissions like smog and soot that result from fossil fuel combustion reacting with sunlight; they’re typically released by cars, factories, power plants, incinerators and engines.
Know the Pollutants
Air pollution is undeniably harmful and dangerous, yet many of us don’t fully comprehend its exact nature and its effect on health. Air pollutants include any substance that alters atmospheric characteristics affecting both human health and environment alike – this includes gases, particulate matter and chemicals – with particularly severe impacts occurring in low-income communities and communities of color due to the location of highways and polluting facilities near these communities.
Smog, or air pollution in its most common form, is an invisible grey haze that obscures your view and poses serious health threats. Composed of inhalable particles ranging from black carbon (soot) and sulphates to lead, its particles range from PM2.5 and PM10 which pass your body’s defenses and enter your bloodstream and lungs where they can lead to everything from lung disease, asthma attacks and heart attacks to diabetes and even dementia.
Air pollution is one of the major contributors to global warming, so it’s crucial for all of us to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Switch to renewable sources of energy like wind or solar and stop burning fossil fuels for powering cars or heating homes/factories with coal or oil or gas (the latter two emit carbon dioxide which accounts for 91% of global warming!). Carbon dioxide acts as a potent greenhouse gas responsible for around 90% of climate change!
Particulate matter and carbon monoxide are among the best-known air pollutants, but there are hundreds of other toxic substances posing serious health hazards in the air that are also known as Hazardous Air Pollutants or HAPs regulated under the Clean Air Act. HAPs refers to any substance released into the atmosphere at an excessive rate beyond its natural ability to dissipate into its surrounding environment or be diluted within it; examples may include mercury, cadmium, lead dioxins or benzene.
Reduce Your Exposure
When we think of air pollution, most of us imagine vehicles sitting idle in traffic or power plants emitting smoke stacks. But the truth is that the majority of our exposure to harmful pollutants occurs indoors – in fact we spend over 90% of our time indoors including homes and offices! Indoor air pollution levels may often be two to five times greater than outdoor levels.
These invisible pollutants can wreak havoc in every organ system from lungs to heart and immune, with respiratory illnesses like asthma being directly tied to cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease or cancer, as well as contributing to chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol. Children, the elderly and people living with an existing health issue such as heart or lung disease are particularly vulnerable.
Though reactions to chemicals vary depending on an individual’s sensitivity, everyone can benefit from taking steps to limit exposure. This may involve restricting or forgoing outdoor activity when air quality levels become unhealthy and using an app like AirNow to monitor local air quality levels. Furthermore, simple masks such as cloth or surgical ones can filter out particles that pose the greatest danger, while medications such as steroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and anticoagulants for cardiovascular disease could be prescribed inhalantly for added protection.
Diet, regular exercise, no smoking and limited alcohol consumption are the best strategies to combat air pollution. While they may sound simple enough, research has demonstrated their efficacy in helping lower risk associated with air pollution-related health conditions.
Breathe Easy
Air pollution can make breathing hard, especially for people living with respiratory conditions like asthma. But exercise can help improve breathing and make you healthier overall.
One such exercise is diaphragmatic breathing, which involves taking slow, deep breaths through your diaphragm. This type of breathing can be an excellent way to both relax and reduce anxiety as well as assist with other health conditions like high blood pressure or migraine episodes.
To use it, sit comfortably and count to five as you inhale, followed by counting back out as you exhale – until reaching ten. As your practice increases, this technique should become easier and more natural – you could also try it when feeling anxious, so as a cue to relax rather than tighten further. For more information about exercising’s impact on breathing health visit ELF factsheet, “Your Lungs and Exercise”.
Take Action
Air pollution is a global challenge that necessitates social changes; however, there are individual actions you can take to lower exposure and risk.
Start by monitoring the Air Quality Index (AQI), and make decisions to lower your exposure by not driving when the AQI is high, using air conditioning or fans and limiting or eliminating indoor sources such as gas stoves, fireplaces, wood burning stoves or furnaces that emit pollution. Wearing an N95 certified face mask could also help filter fine particles.
Many communities around the world are finding solutions for air pollution through citizens demanding change. Join an environmental group dedicated to fighting air pollution; planting trees is one effective and satisfying way of doing just that; see if your community offers similar programs such as New York City’s MillionTreesNYC initiative for planting trees as one way of combatting air pollution.
