Category: air pollution

Ventilation Challenges and Pathogen Spread in High-Polluted Environments

Sotirios Papathanasiou3 Comments

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a crucial aspect of human health and well-being. However, achieving adequate ventilation in homes and other indoor spaces can be challenging, particularly when outdoor air pollution levels are elevated due to smoke from wood-burning stoves. This article explores why poor ventilation in polluted environments poses a heightened risk of pathogen spread.

Factors Hindering Ventilation in Polluted Environments

Wood-burning stoves, used for heating and cooking, release particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO) into the atmosphere. These pollutants can accumulate in extended areas, especially under certain weather conditions. Normally, warm air rising from the ground carries pollution upwards, dispersing it into the atmosphere. However, during the winter, a warm layer of air can settle over a city like a lid, trapping cold air and pollutants near the ground. This phenomenon, known as a thermal inversion, occurs when a warm air mass above restricts the upward movement of cold, denser air, trapping it along with pollutants close to the surface. Thermal inversions are particularly prevalent in cities like Los Angeles, Mumbai, Granada, and Mexico City, where cold, dense air gets confined within mountain basins or valleys.

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Air Pollution Chronicle (Granada, Spain Edition)

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They say that good air quality is a fundamental right for all, and at the same time, they say that 99% of the population worldwide is exposed to air pollution above WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Mixed messages here. Even though I have already shared the story on a Tweet thread, I decided to write an article as well because of the permanence of the article and because it is easier to share.

December 17th, 2023

I arrived in Granada, Spain for the holidays. A blanket of smoke was covering Granada and the small towns around with a total area of over 100 km2. Although I was super tired, the intense smell of smoke inside the apartment and the fact that I knew that there was a lot of particulate pollution indoors didn’t permit me to sleep well.

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Cozy Fireplaces, Clouded Lungs: Why Wood Burning Stoves are a Holiday Health Hazard

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The holidays conjure up images of crackling fires, warm hearths, and cozy evenings. But for many, especially those living in communities with widespread wood burning, this idyllic picture masks a grim reality: a significant decline in indoor and outdoor air quality. Wood burning stoves, while charming and nostalgic, are a major contributor to indoor and outdoor air pollution, posing serious health risks to both the occupants of the house and the surrounding community.

Indoor Air: A Smoky Trap

Burning wood releases a cocktail of harmful pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These microscopic particles can easily infiltrate the lungs and bloodstream, causing a range of health problems:

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Holiday Cheer, Hazy Air: How Festive Practices Can Harm Indoor Air Quality

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The holidays are a time for celebration, filled with the warmth of family gatherings, delicious meals, and festive decorations. However, amidst the joy, some seemingly harmless traditions can have unintended consequences for our indoor air quality.

1. Culinary Combustion: The Peril of Holiday Feasts

Holiday dinners often involve hours spent in the kitchen, with ovens cranking and stoves blazing, filling the air with a medley of aromas. While tempting, this culinary combustion releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cooking oils, burning meat, and even vegetables. VOCs can irritate eyes and lungs, exacerbate respiratory issues, and contribute to poor air quality. Keep ventilation on!

2. Fragrant Fumes: The Unseen Threat of Candles and Incense

Candles and incense are staples of holiday decor, adding warmth and ambience to our homes. Unfortunately, their burning releases pollutants like particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, impacting air quality. For those with asthma or allergies, these irritants can trigger unpleasant reactions. Say no to candles and incense burning!

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Warming Up your Vehicle in Winter is Dangerous for your Health & Illegal (US Version)

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As we face the frigid temperatures brought by polar vortexes in the US, the last thing anyone wants is to enter a freezing cold car. However, it is important to note that in many states, warming up your vehicle by letting it idle is actually illegal.

Regardless of the duration, idling is considered an automatic misdemeanor in most states. Surprisingly, even using the automatic start feature on your car can be against the law in some states. The penalties for idling vary depending on the jurisdiction. For example, in Washington D.C., you could face a $5,000 fine if your car idles for just three (3) minutes. However, some states are more lenient, like Pennsylvania, where idling is allowed for up to twenty (20) minutes when the temperature is below 40ºF (4ºC).

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Interview – Airport Series: #2 Living With Airport Pollution: A Remote Community’s Struggle with Military Operational Area

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For privacy reasons the name of the interviewee has been changed.

Jake lives in a remote desert community located in a Military Operational Area (MOA) in the southwestern United States. His town is 90-120 miles away from two major military airports that are the main source of noise and air pollution in our area.

His family moved there in 2021, attracted to the quiet and scenic landscape. However, they soon noticed increased aviation activity, especially overnight flights that interrupt sleep multiple times a night. Although he can’t confirm an increase in flights, the noise pollution seems worse, with persistent droning lasting for hours in the early mornings and evenings. The noise easily penetrates our brick home.

The worst pollution comes from noisy C130s cargo planes, fighter jet passes, and helicopters, often conducting night training and looping for hours across vast distances. He has calculated these planes can be heard indoors from over 20 miles away. The noise affects his sleep, requiring daytime naps which in turn impact his work. He has experienced vestibular symptoms and severe vibration sensitivity both of which were induced by low-flying military helicopters at his old residence where he had around 10 flyovers a day. Each flyover could be multiple helicopters. from the noise exposure. Weekend nights are a respite they look forward to.

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Interview – Airport Series: #1 The Growing Concerns of Van Nuys Airport and Its Impact on Local Community

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I recently learn from Sue, a resident of Los Angeles, who is living in the shadow of the Van Nuys Airport (VNY) that the air quality of the area and mental health of the residents have been affected dramatically. She shared with me the growing concerns regarding the environmental and health impacts of the airport’s operations, particularly due to the increasing number of private and charter jets.

According to Sue over the past few years, the VNY has essentially transformed into a commercial airport due to the influx of private and charter jets. This brings with it an incessant noise pollution problem, as there’s no curfew and flights come in all day and night. And, they are under the most congested airspace in the world, with five airports in the LA area, all converging over them.

Although the airport has been around since the 1920s the changes, in recent years are drastic. Sue lives in that area since mid 80’s. They are now literally feet away from dozens of jets that emit toxic fumes into their homes, schools, and lungs. It was not like this up until a few years ago.

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The Intricate Relationship Between Plastic Pollution, Air Pollution, and Human Health

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The world is grappling with an abundance of environmental challenges, two of the most critical being plastic pollution and air pollution. Although seemingly disparate, these two issues are more intertwined than we might think, especially when considering their impact on human health. Recent studies have shed light on the presence of microplastics in the human body, a discovery that links plastic pollution and air pollution in a direct and alarming way.

Understanding Plastic and Air Pollution

Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic objects and particles in the Earth’s environment, including our oceans, lands, and even the air we breathe. This pollution takes many forms such as bags, bottles, microbeads, and tiny particles known as microplastics (less than 5mm in size).

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Gender Differences in Exposure and Health Risks of Air Pollutants

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Air pollution, a significant environmental health issue, affects everyone. However, there is growing research evidence showing that the health effects of air pollution may not be the same for men and women. This difference is driven by biological, socio-economic, and occupational factors that can influence exposure levels and health outcomes.

Biological Differences

In terms of biological differences, women have a higher percentage of body lipids than men, which can accumulate fat-soluble pollutants. This can lead to a higher concentration of certain pollutants in women, potentially increasing their risk of health effects. For example, a study published in the journal ‘Environmental Research’ in 2018 showed that women exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals released from burning coal, oil, gasoline, and tobacco, had higher levels of DNA damage than men exposed to the same levels of PAHs.

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Interview with Change The Air Foundation

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Our outdoor and indoor air is filled with particulate matter (PM) that consists of tiny solid and liquid particles that are often invisible to the naked eye. 

But just because we can’t always see these particles, doesn’t mean they aren’t there and negatively affecting our health. In fact, the tinier the particle, the deeper into our bodies it can go! 

The good news is there are steps you can take to improve your indoor air quality.

Be sure to check out this interview to learn more about how everything from your gas stove to your humidifier can be contributing to poor indoor air quality and how you can take steps today to improve the air inside your home!

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