Air purification in the apartment and house. What pollutes the air in the city? What substances pollute the air? What you need to keep the air clean

The change in the gas composition of the atmosphere is the result of a combination of natural phenomena in nature and human activity. But which of these processes is currently dominant? In order to find out, we first clarify what pollutes the air. Its relatively constant composition has been subject to significant fluctuations in recent years. Let us consider the main problems of emission control and air purity protection using the example of this work in cities.

Does the composition of the atmosphere change?

Ecologists consider the change in its average indicators collected over a long period of observation. They occur as a result of many types of social impact on the environment, as well as due to natural processes. For example, substances that pollute the air and change the gas composition of the atmosphere are formed as a result of respiration, photo- and chemosynthesis in the cells of living organisms.

Besides natural pollution, there is anthropogenic pollution. Its sources can be emissions from any production facilities, gaseous waste from the utility industry, vehicle exhaust. This is exactly what pollutes the air, threatens human health and well-being, the state of the entire environment. The main indicators of the composition of the atmosphere should remain unchanged, such as in the diagram below.

The content of some components in the atmosphere is insignificant, but it is taken into account when deciding which substances pollute the air and which are harmless to living organisms. The table below, in addition to the main ones, also includes the constant components of the air environment, the content of which increases in the process of volcanism, economic activity of the population and nitrogen, methane).

What doesn't pollute the air?

The gas composition of the atmosphere over the oceans, seas, forests and meadows, biosphere reserves changes less than in cities. Of course, substances also enter the environment above the above-mentioned natural objects. Gas exchange in the biosphere is ongoing. But ecosystems are dominated by the process that does not pollute the air. For example, in forests - photosynthesis, over water bodies - evaporation. Bacteria fix nitrogen from the air, plants release and absorb carbon dioxide. The atmosphere over the oceans and seas is saturated with water vapor, iodine, bromine, chlorine.

What pollutes the air?

Compounds dangerous for living organisms are very diverse, more than 20,000 biosphere pollutants are known in total. The atmosphere of megalopolises, industrial and transport centers contains simple and complex gaseous substances, aerosols, small solid particles. Let's list what substances pollute the air:

• carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide);
• sulfuric and sulfurous anhydrides (di- and sulfur trioxide);
• nitrogen compounds (oxides and ammonia);
• methane and other gaseous hydrocarbons;
• dust, soot and particulate matter such as ores at mining sites.

What are the sources of emissions?

Harmful substances that pollute the atmospheric air enter the atmosphere not only in a gas and vapor state, but also in the form of tiny droplets, solid particles of various sizes. The accounting of pollution coming from enterprises and transport is carried out for specific compounds, their groups (solid, gaseous, liquid).

The concentration of constant and variable air components changes during the day, according to the seasons. When calculating the content of pollutants, atmospheric pressure and temperature are taken into account, since meteorological conditions affect the composition of the surface layer of the atmosphere. Changes in the concentration of most components, for example, carbon dioxide, do not occur only during the year. An increase in the amount of CO 2 has been noted in the last hundred years (greenhouse effect). In some cases, changes in the concentration of substances are due to natural phenomena. These can be volcanic eruptions, spontaneous release of toxic compounds from the ground or water in certain areas. But more often human activity leads to unfavorable changes in the composition of the atmosphere.

What pollutes the air on Earth? Natural and anthropogenic sources of emissions of harmful compounds. The latter are stationary (pipes of enterprises, boiler rooms, fuel dispensers of gas stations) and mobile (different types of transport). Let's list the main objects from which substances that pollute the air come:

• operating enterprises in many industries;
• quarries where mining is carried out;
• cars (pollute the air when burning fuel derived from oil, gas and other carbonaceous substances);
• filling stations with gaseous and liquid fuels;
• boiler houses using fossil fuels and products of their processing;
• landfills and landfills, where substances that pollute the air are formed as a result of rotting, decomposition of industrial and domestic waste.

Agricultural land, such as fields, orchards, vegetable gardens, also contribute to the negative change in the composition of the atmosphere. This is due to the work of equipment, fertilization, spraying with pesticides.

What is the main source of air pollution?

Many harmful compounds are released into the atmosphere during missile launches, waste incineration, and fires in settlements, forests, fields and steppes. In densely populated regions, the most significant contribution to the change in the composition of the surface layer of the atmosphere is made by vehicles. According to various estimates, it accounts for 60 to 95% of all gaseous emissions.

What pollutes the air in the city? The population of urbanized countries is particularly affected by the toxic products of fuel and fuel combustion. The harmful emissions contain solid particles, for example, soot and lead, liquid and gaseous compounds: sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and their derivatives.

Plants pollute the air in industrial regions where industries that process metal ores, salt, oil, coal and natural gas are developed. The composition of emissions varies depending on the set of industries in a particular region of the country. Polluted air in cities often contains many carcinogens, such as dioxin. Smoke appears as a result of forest, steppe and peat fires, burning of foliage and debris. Wood plantations and waste in the vicinity of cities burn more often, but it happens that even foliage and grass are set on fire directly on the streets.

What substances do industry and transport emissions contain?

What pollutes the air in the city? Industrial centers operate industrial, transport, utilities and construction companies. Each object individually and collectively has a technogenic impact on the environment. Pollutants often interact with each other. Most often, nonmetal oxides dissolve in water droplets - this is how "acidic" fogs and rains are formed. They cause irreparable damage to nature, human health and architectural masterpieces.

Gross emissions of pollutants in cities reach hundreds and thousands of tons. The largest volume of toxic compounds comes from metallurgical, fuel and energy, chemical and transport industries. Factories pollute the air with toxic substances: ammonia, benzopyrene, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, mercaptan, phenol. The emissions of a large industrial enterprise contain from 20 to 120 types of compounds. To a lesser extent, harmful compounds are formed in food and light industries, educational, health and cultural institutions.

Are the combustion products of organic waste hazardous?

In cities, it is forbidden to burn fallen leaves, grass, branches, packaging, building materials and other industrial and domestic waste. Acrid smoke contains air pollutants. They harm human health and generally degrade the quality of the environment.

It is alarming that some citizens and employees of enterprises do not understand that they violate the rules of landscaping, exacerbate the already unfavorable environmental situation when they burn heaps and manure on their plots, and set fire to waste in containers in the courtyards of multi-storey buildings. Very often there are plastic bottles and film in the garbage. This smoke is especially harmful due to thermal decomposition products of polymers. In the Russian Federation, there are penalties for burning waste within the boundaries of a settlement.

When parts of plants, bones, animal skins, polymers and other products of organic synthesis are burned, carbon oxides, water vapor, and some nitrogen compounds are released. But these are not all air pollutants that are formed during combustion or smoldering waste, household waste. If leaves, branches, grass and other materials are wet, more toxic substances are released than harmless water vapor. For example, with smoldering 1 ton of wet foliage, about 30 kg of carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) are released.

Standing next to a smoldering garbage heap is like being on the most polluted street of a metropolis. The danger lies in the fact that it binds the hemoglobin of the blood. The resulting carboxyhemoglobin can no longer deliver oxygen to cells. Other substances that pollute the air can cause disruption of the bronchi and lungs, poisoning, exacerbation of chronic diseases. For example, when carbon monoxide is inhaled, the heart works with increased stress, since not enough oxygen is supplied to the tissues. In this case, cardiovascular diseases may worsen. An even greater danger is posed by the combination of carbon monoxide with pollutants in industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust.

Pollutant Concentration Standards

Hazardous emissions come from metallurgical, coal, oil and gas processing plants, energy facilities, construction and utilities. Radioactive contamination from the explosions at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and nuclear power plants in Japan has spread globally. There is an increase in the content of carbon oxides, sulfur, nitrogen, freons, radioactive and other hazardous emissions in different parts of our planet. Sometimes toxins are found far from the place where the factories that pollute the air are located. The situation that has arisen is an alarming and difficult to solve global problem of mankind.

Back in 1973, the relevant committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed criteria for assessing the quality of atmospheric air in cities. Experts have found that the state of human health depends on environmental conditions by 15-20%. On the basis of many studies in the XX century, the permissible levels of the main pollutants that are harmless to the population were determined. For example, the average annual concentration of suspended particles in the air should be 40 μg / m 3. The content of sulfur oxides should not exceed 60 μg / m 3 per year. For carbon monoxide, the corresponding average is 10 mg / m 3 for 8 hours.

What is the maximum permissible concentration (MPC)?

By the decree of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation, the content of almost 600 harmful compounds in the atmosphere of settlements was approved. pollutants in the air, compliance with which indicates the absence of adverse effects on people and sanitary conditions. The standard specifies the hazard classes of compounds, the values ​​of their content in the air (mg / m 3). These indicators are updated when new data on the toxicity of individual substances become available. But that's not all. The document contains a list of 38 substances for which a ban on emission has been introduced due to their high biological activity.

How is the state control in the field of atmospheric air protection carried out?

Anthropogenic changes in the composition of the air lead to negative consequences in the economy, deteriorate health and reduce the life expectancy of people. The problems of increasing the release of harmful compounds into the atmosphere are of concern to both governments, state and municipal authorities, and the public, ordinary people.

The legislation of many countries provides for the start of construction, reconstruction, modernization of almost all objects of the economy. The regulation of pollutants in the air is being carried out, measures are being taken to protect the atmosphere. The issues of reducing the anthropogenic load on the environment, reducing emissions and discharges of pollutants are being addressed. In Russia, federal laws on the protection of the environment, atmospheric air, and other legislative and regulatory acts governing activities in the environmental sphere have been adopted. State environmental control is carried out, pollutants are limited, and emissions are rationed.

What is MPE?

Air-polluting enterprises should conduct an inventory of the sources of exposure to harmful compounds in the air. Usually this work finds its logical continuation when determining the need to obtain this document is associated with the regulation of the technogenic load on the atmospheric air. Based on the information included in the MPE volume, the enterprise receives a permit for the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. Data on regulatory emissions are used to calculate payments for negative environmental impacts.

If there is no MPE volume and no permit, then enterprises pay 2, 5, 10 times more for emissions from pollution sources located on the territory of an industrial facility or other industry. The regulation of pollutants in the air leads to a reduction in the negative impact on the atmosphere. There is an economic incentive to carry out measures to protect nature from the ingress of alien compounds into it.

Payments for pollution from enterprises are accumulated by local and federal authorities in specially created budgetary environmental funds. Financial resources are spent on environmental protection activities.

How is the air purified and protected at industrial and other facilities?

Polluted air is purified by different methods. Filters are installed on the pipes of boiler houses and processing enterprises, there are dust and gas collecting installations. Through the use of thermal decomposition and oxidation, some toxic substances are converted into harmless compounds. The capture of harmful gases in emissions is carried out by condensation methods, sorbents are used to absorb impurities, catalysts for cleaning.

Prospects for activities in the field of air protection relate to work to reduce the release of pollutants into the atmosphere. It is necessary to develop laboratory monitoring of harmful emissions in cities and on busy transport routes. Work should continue on the introduction of systems for the capture of solid particles from gaseous mixtures at enterprises. We need cheap modern devices for cleaning emissions from toxic aerosols and gases. In the field of state control, an increase in the number of posts is required to check and regulate the toxicity of vehicle exhaust gases. Energy industry enterprises and vehicles should be converted to less harmful, from the point of view of ecology, types of fuel (for example, natural gas, biofuel). When they burn, less solid and liquid pollutants are emitted.

What is the role of green spaces in the purification of atmospheric air?

It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of plants to the replenishment of oxygen reserves on the Earth, trapping pollution. Forests are called "green gold", "lungs of the planet" for the ability of leaves to photosynthesize. This process consists in the absorption of carbon dioxide and water, the formation of oxygen and starch in the light. Plants release phytoncides into the air - substances that have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microbes.

Increasing the area of ​​green spaces in cities is one of the most important environmental protection measures. Trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers are planted in the courtyards of houses, in parks, squares and along roads. Greening areas of schools and hospitals, industrial enterprises.

Scientists have found that plants such as poplar, linden, and sunflower absorb dust and harmful gaseous substances from industrial emissions, transport emissions best. Most of the phytoncides are emitted by coniferous plantations. The air in pine, fir, juniper forests is very clean and healthy.

The ecological situation in Moscow is far from ideal, but few people think about the fact that the air in apartments and offices is also a great danger: in closed rooms it stagnates, which increases the concentration of substances harmful to health and multiplies dangerous bacteria and microorganisms. The Village asked doctors, environmentalists and designers what measures would help improve the ecology of the home and avoid many diseases.

Is the air in the apartment actually worse than outside?

Indoor air is, on average, five times dirtier and ten times more toxic than outdoor air. Moreover, it is in the premises that most people spend up to 90% of their time. Such statistics are given by the head of the laboratory of the manufacturer of the Potok Inter air disinfection system Yevgeny Kobzev.

Stagnant air contains a large number of microorganisms - including those that can potentially harm human health. The main source of microbes is the person himself. "From the surface of the skin, such pathogenic bacteria as Staphylococcus aureus and various types of streptococci get into the air, and during breathing, sneezing and coughing, pathogens of tuberculosis, various pneumonia and flu," Kobzev comments.

Pathogenic microorganisms appear in apartments due to the fact that air conditioners, household air purifiers and forced ventilation devices rarely or poorly serve: for example, an ordinary home air conditioner, if you do not change filters in it, can become a breeding ground for the causative agent of legionellosis, which in some cases causes a person the most severe form of pneumonia (up to death). Fighting legionellosis with traditional disinfectants is almost useless. You can only increase the body's resistance, improve immunity, and prevent the growth of bacteria: clean climate equipment in time, prevent stagnation of warm water (for example, in water heaters).

Another type of air pollution in an apartment that Evgeny Kobzev points out is mold: “From the surface of walls and ceilings (especially in bathrooms), mold spores can enter the air, causing asthma attacks and exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory allergy and pulmonary hypertension ”.

What sources of air pollution can be identified?

Dust

Dust is dangerous because mites can settle in it. Alena Glushakova, the deputy chief physician for the medical part of the therapist at the MEDSI clinic in Horoshevsky proezd, clarifies that the ticks themselves are safe for humans, but their metabolic products can cause the development of allergic reactions, up to the development of bronchial asthma: “If you constantly breathe dusty air, then respiratory diseases are inevitable. systems (chronic diseases of the nasal cavity, pharynx, bronchi, lungs), inflammation, headaches, irritation of the mucous membrane of the eyes due to allergic reactions. "

Automotive exhaust gases and industrial emissions

Penetrating through open windows, they also pose a health hazard. Exhaust gases contain nitrogen and carbon oxides, sulfur dioxide, aromatic hydrocarbons, and lead compounds. They can cause the development of diseases of the respiratory and nervous systems, provoke the development of allergic reactions, skin diseases.

The smell of cigarettes

Tobacco smoke is harmful not only at the time of smoking: there are many oily resins with a high penetrating ability in tobacco leaves, which means that the smoke from them is well absorbed into clothes, upholstered furniture, curtains, carpets. Tobacco tar and nicotine build up in the lungs and cause lung disease, exacerbate allergic reactions and increase the risk of heart disease. To eliminate the smell, you need to constantly ventilate the room, wash fabric upholstery and wallpaper, wash textiles, have powerful ventilation in the apartment or air purifiers with filters specializing in retaining particles of cigarette smoke.

Chipboards and fibreboards

Particleboard and fiberboard are layers of pressed wood that are joined together with glue or various resins. Formaldehydes and phenols, carcinogens that increase the likelihood of cancer, are released from furniture made from this material. A source of carcinogens, according to Alena Glushakova, can also be laminate, linoleum, decorative plastic and cheap building finishing materials.

In Russia, formaldehyde belongs to the second of five hazard classes, where the first is the most serious. Short-term contact with an object that emits formaldehyde will not harm, but constant presence in the same apartment with it can cause skin reactions (irritation, itching, rash), eye inflammation, lethargy, frequent headaches, difficulty sleeping. At the same time, while the source of carcinogens is isolated, for example, furniture made of chipboard is laminated or covered with veneer, the harm is minimal, but any damage to the surface will become a place for the release of formaldehyde.

Chipboard furniture emits formaldehydes and phenols - carcinogens that increase the likelihood of cancer

Doormat near the front door

From the street, we can bring pathogens along with dirt and dust. In 2008, the University of Arizona conducted a study: more than 400 thousand different bacteria were found on the soles of shoes. Escherichia coli, Friedlander's bacillus and Serratia ficaria are carried in large quantities on shoes - these bacteria cause urinary tract infections and respiratory infections. In this way, chemicals can also be brought home: gasoline particles after a walk in the rain, toxic fertilizers from the lawn, tar from the asphalt or reagents for dissolving snow from winter streets.

Mercury

This is a substance of the first hazard class (according to GOST 17.4.1.02-83). If you break a thermometer and at least one ball of mercury rolls up behind furniture or into a crack in a parquet floor, then mercury in contact with air will release toxic substances. That is why it is important to completely collect and dispose of it, and then disinfect all surfaces it touched with a solution of potassium permanganate.

About 80% of inhaled mercury vapor is retained in the body. The longer the exposure and the more volatile mercury particles enter the body, the more dangerous the toxic effect. Acute mercury vapor poisoning manifests itself in intestinal upset, vomiting, and swelling of the gums. A decline in cardiac activity is characteristic, the pulse becomes rare and weak, fainting is possible. In chronic poisoning, a metallic taste appears in the mouth, looseness of the gums, severe salivation, slight excitability, weakening of memory, a strong effect on the nervous system.

Are popular cleaning products dangerous?

As a rule, when choosing household chemicals for the home, people tend to purchase the most aggressive products: with them, you can quickly achieve perfect cleanliness. For which you have to pay by inhaling the volatile toxic substances found in cleaning and detergents: chlorine, phosphates, surfactants, triclosan, and even fragrances and aromatic enzymes.

“Regular use of toxic household chemicals, especially in poorly ventilated rooms, can cause headaches, various allergic reactions, decreased immunity and even provoke the development of cancer. You can avoid these harmful effects by choosing environmentally friendly household chemicals and returning to folk remedies for maintaining cleanliness in the house. For example, a solution of vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, mustard powder, soap solution and the like are much safer, ”says Natalia Edel, head physician of Verba Mayr.

What are the symptoms that can be used to understand that toxic substances are present in the air?

Symptoms that require attention to the air quality in the apartment include: headaches, sleep disturbances, nausea, flaking of the skin, unpleasant taste in the mouth upon waking, dizziness, irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes. “But do not panic at the first appearance of one of the symptoms: the state of the surrounding air is not the most common cause of these disruptions in the body. To begin with, we need to exclude the more “popular” ones: unhealthy diet, stress, lack of sleep, ”comments Dmitry Gornastolev, chief physician of the Medskan network of medical centers. But shortness of breath, heart rhythm disturbance, loss of orientation in space are already symptoms in which you cannot hesitate and you need to immediately call an ambulance. They may indicate a severe allergic reaction or toxicity.

Regular use of toxic household chemicals can cause headaches, allergic reactions and decreased immunity.

How to make the air in your apartment cleaner?

In the fight for clean air, methods need to be chosen depending on the situation and the type of pollution. Vadim Rukavitsyn, an environmental consultant at EcoShopper, advises: if the apartment is located near a large highway or a large factory, install a filter on the ventilation valve and do not open windows for ventilation in the room. And if you use harmful paint, furniture or building materials, on the contrary, it is necessary to ventilate the room more often or purify the air through special household filters if the source of pollution cannot be quickly eliminated.

“Paints, varnishes, adhesives often release benzene, toluene, xylene and other volatile organic compounds. Particleboard, some types of plastic and foam in the production process are saturated with the carcinogen formaldehyde. At the same time, there are no unambiguously dangerous and unambiguously safe types of paints and varnishes and glue - it depends on the composition of a particular product, ”says the ecologist. Harmful substances can be present, but in an acceptable concentration for humans and do not cause harm, therefore, when choosing, you need to pay attention to international ecolabels. Here are the main ones: Ecolabel ("European flower"), Nordic Ecolabel (Nordic Swan, "Northern Swan"), German marking Der Blaue Engel ("Blue Angel"), the most common in the USA and Canada Green Seal and EcoLogo, as well as Vitality Leaf, the main one for Russia.

In the case of air pollution, it will be most effective to use quartz lamps (there are small home models) and ventilation. This is especially true if someone was ill in the apartment for a long time. If the air is contaminated with mold spores, it is necessary to establish its source and first of all get rid of the mold. Also in this case, enhanced supply and exhaust ventilation and a decrease in humidity to 40-60% will help.

If we talk about universal tools for purifying the air in an apartment, home purifiers and air washers are best suited for this task. They differ in a set of filters, each of which is designed to eliminate a certain type of pollution. “The most common cleaners are with a carbon membrane, mechanical cleaning and an ionizer. To remove bacteria and organic matter, it is necessary that an ion-catalytic or streamer filter with a closed-type quartz lamp be built into the purifiers, ”Vadim Rukavitsyn recommends.

Partially protect yourself at the stage of choosing a place to stay. First of all, it is worth considering the presence of a number of large highways, industrial facilities and landfills. If we talk about Moscow, the ecologist calls the west and north-west the cleanest, and the central district, the south and southeast of the capital as dirty. In addition to the presence of industrial plants in these districts, the wind in Moscow mainly blows to the southeast, so there is dirt from other districts as well. But regardless of the area, it is optimal to consider each particular house separately, taking into account the relief, distance from highways and the railway, number of storeys, proximity to the park, communications, type of house, history of the area and other parameters.

Why plant greenery near the house and ventilate the apartment?

To maintain the work of all systems of the human body, a constant circulatory process is required, which is carried out with the help of respiration: when oxygen is supplied, metabolic processes occur in the cells, due to which energy is released. Breathing air quality is of paramount importance, which is why it is so important to maintain it. Lyubov Bogdanova, respiratory therapist, head of the International Center for the Study and Practice of Conscious Breathing, advises to plant greenery in the surrounding area so that the air outside the window is as clean as possible. Tree leaves actively trap dust and reduce the concentration of harmful gases. According to biologists, in the summer, an average-sized tree releases as much oxygen per day as is necessary for the breathing of three people, and a park or grove near the house will cleanse a layer of air up to 45 meters thick from carbon dioxide - this is about 15 floors. It is best to plant chestnut, poplar, elm, larch, and from shrubs - lilac, acacia, wild rose. Indoor plants also contribute to the cleanliness of the air. To select a specific species, you can use the NASA list, which was compiled in 1989 based on the results of a study of plants that help in an enclosed space not only absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, but also remove some harmful substances from the atmosphere (formaldehyde, benzene, trichlorethylene). In total, there are about 30 plants in this list; of the most effective, with a complex effect, are common ivy, golden epipremnum, spathiphyllum, bamboo palm (hamedorea), sansevieria ("mother-in-law's tongue"), bordered dracaena and garden chrysanthemum. Regular wet cleaning is necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the air: moisture precipitates dust, cleaning the atmospheric air from its particles.

At the same time, volatile compounds of household chemicals and personal hygiene products are often the causes of allergic cough or nasal congestion, a runny nose or severe sneezing, so it is better to choose natural products for cleaning premises and body hygiene.

“Ventilate the apartment regularly: carbon dioxide released during exhalation is 1.5 times heavier than atmospheric air and it accumulates in an unventilated room. And try to spend as much time as possible in nature: it is the ecoflora that creates the most favorable breathing mixture for humans, which the urban environment cannot boast of, ”advises the breathing therapist. The air cannot be made absolutely clean, but the person himself, by controlling his breathing, can minimize the harmful effect.

Nasal breathing is unique in that it provides humidification and purification of air coming from outside into the human body. The mucous membrane of the nasal passages traps dust particles and other foreign particles, as well as viruses and bacteria. The special composition of mucus neutralizes them, and the ciliated epithelium ensures their removal from the nasal cavity.

Life hacks and gadgets to help keep the air clean

Since wet cleaning is one of the most effective ways to achieve clean air in an apartment, you need to create conditions for it: organize the storage of things, put clothes, books and dishes in closed cabinets and containers, leaving a maximum of open horizontal surfaces free.

Ideally, you should think about the air quality in the apartment even at the stage of renovation: choose environmentally friendly materials, advise Sergey and Veronika Kovaleva, architects Artbaza.studio. Solid wood or cork tiles are best for flooring: these materials are easy to clean and do not emit toxic substances. To paint walls or ceilings, the architects of the Artbaza studio use Japanese paints with an antibacterial coating and without lead in the composition, and in the decoration they often use whole slabs of marble, solid wood, stones and minerals of natural origin - all these materials are natural and safe. Technical innovations will help keep the air clean and healthy. For example, an oxygen generator: it, by passing air through filters, converts it into pure oxygen. More standard, but also useful air purifiers and ionizers. “In order to choose a good air purifier, it is important to know the volume of the room: we multiply the volume by three - this is how much the device must drive air through. Also, when buying, pay attention to the presence of several filters and multilevel cleaning, ”advise Veronika and Sergey Kovalev.

In addition to purification, the air needs to be saturated with moisture: then harmful particles will settle on the floor, and not be inhaled; Moreover, normal moisture levels are beneficial for the respiratory tract and skin condition. The most technologically advanced helpers here are ultrasonic humidifiers. They are usually equipped with a built-in hydrostat and are able to automatically maintain a wide range of humidity (20 to 90%). When buying a humidifier of any type, you must definitely ask what area of ​​the room it is designed for.

The air mass that surrounds us contains nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide. Nature has always maintained their balance, while all odors, even unpleasant ones, are environmentally friendly under normal conditions. But the last decades of scientific and technological progress, in addition to convenience and comfort, "presented" to mankind a variety of harmful chemical compounds.

Nature can no longer cope with such a load, and as a result, due to polluted air, we get a decrease in immunity, allergies and other inadequate reactions of the body. As a result, our immune system spends 80% of its resources on neutralizing harmful environmental factors. But can you help her? How to make the air clean at least at home, in the place where we sleep, eat, and raise our children?

We've put together simple ways to keep your home safe from harmful pollutants, chemicals and germs:

1. No combustion products

Wood-burning fireplaces are a charming part of the interior and a romantic place for lovers. They make your home more comfortable and help you to psychologically relax after a hard day. But, as it turned out, they are harmful to our health, as they produce solid particles that are fed into the lungs and make breathing difficult.

2. Away from smokers

Smoking as such is the cause of a large number of diseases. In the United States, in particular, smoking is responsible for approximately 85% of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, you should make sure that you are not a passive smoker in your own home?

Smokers poison the air not only around them, but also harm their neighbors, relatives and households. If you stop smoking in time, and thereby clear your apartment from smoke, you can significantly improve the quality of the air.

3. Combating dust mites

Dust mites, which live mainly in people's homes, can cause an allergic reaction in humans - tick-borne sensitization.

The size of the pliers ranges from 0.1-0.5 mm. About 200 species are widely distributed around the globe. These arachnids live in mattresses and carpets and feed on dead skin particles that a person loses annually in an amount of 350-400 g. Ticks leave behind feces containing digestive enzymes, which can cause severe allergic reactions in humans.

To get rid of dust mites, it is necessary to use mattress covers and pillowcases, which create a barrier between the person and the mites living in pillows and mattresses.

4. Reducing the use of chemicals

Almost all household chemicals are harmful. But with the use of chemicals, the situation is not easy. On the one hand, we are forced to use them to do a full-fledged cleaning in the house, dust and collect pet hair. But the more effective the remedy, the stronger it smells and spreads more poisonous substances around itself, and this is already dangerous to health.

In order not to walk around the apartment in a protective mask every time after cleaning, replace chemicals with ordinary vinegar or soap. In this case, only those things that have no aroma are safe for the human body.

This also applies to hairspray, perfume, glue, dyes, air fresheners - they all pollute and make the air we breathe heavier.

5. Animal fur

The main trouble of pets is their fur, which fills the apartment, as a result of which the amount of dust increases and you have to clean up much more often. But pet dander is actually far more harmful than hair. Despite the fact that the particles of this dandruff are quite large and cannot penetrate deep into the respiratory tract when breathing, they are also the cause of many diseases. Especially the presence of animals in the house is dangerous for allergy sufferers, for whom dogs, cats and even birds are contraindicated.

But if you do already have an animal, be sure to wash your hands after stroking it. Also, it is better to keep your pet away from the bedroom - where you sleep and spend most of your time, it definitely does not belong.

6. Artificial air purification

Various electronic purifiers, ionizers and humidifiers can significantly reduce the amount of small particles that float around us and enter our lungs. The main thing is not to forget to regularly clean the filters of these devices themselves.

And for hot summer days, it is better to use air conditioners that trap dust entering houses from the street.

7. Keep your windows closed

Ozone and various allergens from street dust enter our lungs. Their number is especially large in large cities and industrial areas.

To protect yourself from their effects, it is recommended to keep the windows in the apartment closed for most of the day. However, periodically opening the windows and ventilating the apartment is simply necessary, especially if you have just cleaned the house and smells strongly of the chemicals contained in cleaning products around.

8. Normalized physical activity

Oxygen participates in almost all chemical processes in our body, plays an important role in metabolism, improves blood circulation and the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Any physical activity increases its consumption, and helps to prevent chronic lung diseases and allergies.

But doctors warn that if you have already been diagnosed with a disease, then you should not overexert yourself - this will knock your breathing and aggravate the symptoms of the disease.

9. Fighting mold and mildew

Mold is ubiquitous. Basically, large colonies of mold grow in warm, humid places, in nutrient media. Many molds produce mycotoxins - these are toxins that have a depressing or toxic effect on other living organisms, including humans.

A variety of pathogenic fungi can cause dermatoses, diseases of the hair, nails, respiratory and genital tract, and the oral cavity in humans.

Both mold and mildew can be helped by a good ventilation system in the bedroom and bathroom. It is also necessary to maintain a certain level of humidity in the apartment - about 40%. To do this, do not abuse air humidifiers. High humidity and air temperature can also lead to imbalance in heat transfer and metabolism.

10. Stove and gas

Radiators, central heating and gas stoves are also dangerous. If there is a gas stove in the kitchen, then the air is full of harmful substances formed during the combustion of gas: carbon oxides, sulfur dioxide, carcinogens, and others. During cooking, substances with toxic properties are formed: formaldehyde, ammonia, acrolein and others.

To reduce the harm from the gas stove, it is recommended to ventilate more often during cooking or to keep the window always ajar. It is also important to keep the kitchen door closed while food is being prepared and to install an extractor hood that will draw in not only combustion products, but also toxic substances released during cooking.

A rare person thinks about the need to clean the air. But we consume about 15-18 kg per day of this vital substance. Water and food, for comparison, are 3-5 kg ​​together.

The market today offers a lot of all kinds of air fresheners, but almost all of them only collect dust. Chemistry can be perfectly collected with activated carbon. But he gains 7-10% of the dirt from his weight and does not act further. That is, the coal must be constantly changed, and this is expensive. If not changed, then bacteria begin to multiply in it.

To purify home air, it is better to use a natural mechanism, that is, fill the house with green plants. One of the most popular plants that perfectly purify the air is chlorophytum. This method is free and completely safe.

Of course, you can choose filters or whole air purification systems for your home. However, it is necessary to choose equipment that, by its mechanism of action, resembles natural air purification. Filters must be cleaned and changed in a timely manner.

In order for the air to always remain clean, it is important to ventilate the room and regularly do wet cleaning. In order to breathe fresh air constantly, it is necessary to minimize the use of household chemicals.

How to clean the air in the production area?

To ensure that the air in the production area is always clean, it is important to purchase high-quality filters for air purification.

Ozonation will also be an excellent way to purify. Ozone is known to be an allotropic modification of oxygen. This substance is a highly oxidizing agent. In view of this, ozone can quickly decompose harmful chemical compounds to the simplest and safest elements. Ozonation not only purifies the air, but also disinfects and removes any unpleasant odors.

What purifies the air in nature?

In nature, plants are mainly involved in air purification. When exposed to light, they produce oxygen. Photocatalysis also occurs in green plants, during which harmful elements in the air are simply destroyed when they come into contact with special substances, photocatalysts.

Also in nature, during a thunderstorm, ozone is produced in small quantities, which eliminates harmful compounds.

According to the editors of the site, air purification should have no less priority than water purification.
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