Life is all about breathing. It might sound silly; it is a fact. Admit it; you cannot live without breathing. It is an essential activity in human life. And so, it should be given its due concentration and attention.
Every year one in eight deaths worldwide is linked to breathing problems and air pollution. WHO estimates outdoor air pollution death to be 3.7 million and indoor air pollution deaths to be 4.3 million. This places air pollution as the fourth leading cause of death, following high blood pressure, dietary risks, and smoking.
Air pollution is one of the major hazards of science. We can define it as the contamination of natural, clean, and odorless air with pollutants, which makes it poisonous and harmful for all living things on earth.
After the post-conflict, the world soon undergoes industrialization because of which we are now facing air pollution at its peak.
Aerosols:
Aerosols are solid or liquid particles dispersed in the air, which causes air pollution. They are conventionally defined as those particles suspended in the air having diameters in the region 0.001 to 10 micron.
Examples of Aerosols:
Aerosols include dust, soot, sea salt, spores, bacteria, viruses, and a plethora of other microscopic particles.
What pollutes air?
The following are the air pollutants that contaminate the air.
- Sulfur oxides, especially Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen oxides especially nitrogen dioxide
- Carbon monoxide
- Carbon dioxide
- Volatile organic compounds (VOC), such as hydrocarbon fuel vapors and solvents.
- Particulate matter (PM), such as smoke and dust.
- Metal oxides, especially those of lead, and to a lesser degree cadmium, copper, and iron.
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS)
- Ammonia
- Odors, such as garbage, sewage, and industrial processes.
The air in which you are breathing and performing respiration is polluted with these poisonous elements and gasses. So there is a need for safety precautions for breathing.
How air pollution is damaging us and our surroundings:
There are several effects of breathing in this polluted air. And these all are life-threatening effects. If you do not take them seriously, you will be at a high risk of life shortness.
- Air pollution causes stratospheric ozone depletion, which is considered a threat to human health and to the Earth’s ecosystem.
- Air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory diseases.
- Gasses of air pollution such as carbon dioxide contribute to global warming.
- Air pollution may impair the health of humans, plants, and animals.
- It may reduce visibility.
- Radon gas of air pollution acts as a carcinogen and causes cancer, which ultimately causes death.
- Carbon monoxide (CO) of air pollution is a poisonous gas and causes fatalities.
- It gives birth to various respiratory diseases like Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema, and other lung diseases.
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOR BREATHING IN POLLUTES AIR:
- AIR QUALITY INDEX:
Before going outside you need to check your AIR QUALITY INDEX, by doing this you can have an idea that how long you should stay outdoor and what necessary precautions you can do to make your breathing safe.
- INDOOR AIR POLLUTION PURIFIERS:
This might be new for you, but there is air pollution inside our home too. The major source of indoor air pollution is your stove fire and combustion that is inevitable because of cooking purposes.
You have heard that “necessity is the mother of invention” so because of this non-traditional threat to human health, scientists have introduced a new technology for purifying your indoor air.
There are several brands available in the market from where you can buy Air Purifiers.
- WAER SURGICAL MASK:
Whenever you go outside and AQI is showing bad numbers or unhealthy air, then prefer to wear an N95 mask. It gives the strongest protection for respiration outdoor. It can filter virus 95%, dust 100%, bacteria 100%, and pollen 99%. By wearing this mask, you would breathe in filtered air.
- AVOID SMOKING AND SMOKERS:
If you are a smoker, then quit it; the air in which you are breathing is already polluted with many poisonous elements and gasses. So smokers are at high risk of being affected by Lung Cancer. And if you are not a smoker, so should avoid even being in the company of smokers; passive smoking is as much dangerous as active smoking.
- PLANTATION:
Make your surrounding green and grow plants in your home and offices. This is the most simple method to reduce pollution. Plants will give you fresh oxygen to inhale. The most dangerous pollutant of air is carbon dioxide, and plants will absorb most of it.
Few breathing tips
- Do not take long breaths when you are outside.
- Drink warm water when coming from outside.
- Take steam every day.
- Breathe from the nose, not from the mouth.
- Avoid traffic and congested places.
- Take breathing exercises daily in your garden and somewhere near plants.
- Wash your nose with warm water after returning home from outside.
