5 Ways to Improve Air Quality Within Your House

According to one report, indoor air pollution kills 12 lac people in India every year. Surprised? Indian households – especially in the rural parts of the country – still cook their meals by using solid fuels like wood pellets, husk, and charcoal. This cooking process releases noxious gases in millions of households – three times a day. These gases lead to cases of Asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a condition called hut lung, where the airways are darkened and discolored.

Darker the blue, worse is the indoor air pollution. As you can see, India has among the most polluted indoor spaces in the world.

This is not to say that solid fuels used to cook meals is the only source of indoor pollution. Houses in urban areas -houses that use gas pipelines and LPG cylinders – are vulnerable to indoor pollution too. Invisible gases released by bathroom and floor cleaning liquids are one of the sources of indoor pollution. It’s ironic that the liquids used to get rid of visible dirt release imperceptible fumes that continue to cause damage.

Mosquito coils, used to protect against diseases, release smoke that harms the human lungs. Even the kitchen stoves release volatile organic compounds (VOC) that combine with nitrogen oxide (NOx) released by cars to produce ozone. Ozone then combines with room fresheners and skin oils to generate aerosols and irritants. Just like ozone in the atmosphere traps heat, ozone on your skin traps particulate matter, essentially creating what researchers are calling a “personal cloud of pollutants.”

This goes on to show the importance of health insurance. People assume they are safe in their homes – but tiny things can corrode their health. Health insurance can lighten your financial load and ensure that your focus remains on your recovery.

Air pollution control inside your house doesn’t require massive capital or time. Below are 5 quick and effective ways to practice air pollution control within your house:

1. Take Off Your Shoes: Simple habits hold the key to long-term health. With the rise of casual-wear in the shoe market, people are wearing the same pair of shoes indoors and outdoors. This is convenient but hazardous. Shoes worn outdoors carry with them construction dust, cigarette ashes, pollen, particulate toxins released by vehicles, industrial smoke that reacts with atmospheric humidity and settles on the ground, and much more. You bring all this into your home when you use your outdoor shoes as your indoor footwear. Therefore, taking off your shoes when you enter your house decreases indoor air pollution to a noticeable degree.

2. Bring In Plants: Plants are the best form of air pollution control you can invest in. Otherwise healthy people often start coughing when they come indoors – this is known as the Sick Building Syndrome. Indoor spaces like homes and offices often trap pollutants and toxins within their walls, making healthy people nauseous and suffocated. Plants go a long way to alleviate this problem. Plants release oxygen and absorb toxins like benzene. Plants store harmful airborne particles in the soil and use them for food.

3. Ventilate Your House: The Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks estimates there are close to 900 chemicals in indoor air. This includes the radioactive radon gas, which is naturally released by all soils and rocks. Certain activities such as repainting the house can increase the concentration by VOCs in the air – harmful airborne compounds – up to levels 1000 times higher than the outdoor levels. Ventilation helps with these problems and more. Allowing fresh air from outside can help circulate the toxins out of the house. But this is a double-edged sword – if the outdoor air is polluted, then this strategy can backfire. Therefore, it’s important to be cognizant of the time of the year, outdoor air quality, etc. when ventilating your house.

4. Use Tools – Both Natural and Tech-enabled: Salt lamps absorb pathogens and allergens from the air. Activated charcoal also possesses highly absorbent qualities and can quietly improve indoor air quality. Beeswax candles – as opposed to the paraffin candles – are good at ionizing toxins and controlling indoor air pollution. These are all-natural items that can help you breathe in healthier air at your house. You can also consider technological solutions if the problem is particularly adverse in your area. Air purifiers are more heavy-duty than plants – and can trap additional toxins like asbestos released by building materials.

5. Decrease the moisture: Humidity over 60% causes your body to heat up and it changes your blood circulation. Every toxin becomes deadlier in the presence of water vapor – hence it’s very important to keep indoor moisture under check. Air conditioners that are too powerful for indoor spaces keep switching off automatically, thereby incompletely removing the air-borne humidity. Therefore, getting ACs that complement your room size coupled with regular AC maintenance can help bring down the moisture in the air.

These are some of the best ways to control indoor air pollution. As the old saying goes – man proposes, God disposes. Sometimes, despite the best precautions, a disease-carrying pathogen can make its way into our lungs. It’s wiser to stay prepared for this possibility by investing in an affordable health insurance plan. Bajaj Allianz’s Health Insurance, available on Bajaj Markets, offers affordable premiums, personalized health insurance plans, and tax benefits of up to Rs. 75,000. Consider the Bajaj Allianz Family or Individual Health Insurance on Bajaj Markets based on your needs. Insure your health today.

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