You must have wondered how air pollution affects the home environment. here’s how! With the enormous growing population, especially in third-world countries, air pollution is a serious issue. In cities like Shanghai, Delhi, and Dhaka, the air pollution affects significantly urban health and the environment. This is not only contaminating commercial areas of the cities but also the residential areas are being affected notably. Here, I will discuss the numerous effects in the home environment.
Table of Contents
How air pollution affects home environment: What makes the air polluted?
There are few significant things that pollute the air:
Motor vehicles: The smoky exhaust from engines is the significant pollutant in the air.These engines emit a lot of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas, which are the major pollutants in the air.
Industrial chimneys: With the industrial revolution, human civilization got important solutions for preparing goods and business flourishment, but on the other hand, it caused long-term damage to the environment. The large industrial chimneys discharge a huge amount of polluted gas that consists of toxic gas particles like salfates, black carbon, nitrates, mineral dust, ammonia, sodium chloride, etc., which are called particulate matter (PM).
Large brick field burners: These burners are another pollutant of air. With the development of construction industries, there is a huge number of brick fields around the countries that emit and discharge a large percentage of air pollutants. These gases also include PMs, which are notably contaminating the air.
Open air waste burning: Open air waste barning is another major pollutant, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. It seems very innocent but is having a negative effect to the air environment.
How air pollution affects home environment: The Actual Reasons
The homes in the cities are affected mostly by the diverse ways of air pollution. Specially the homes just beside the road or the residential area that is near any industry or power plant are getting affected. Numerous health problems faced by the home occupants are mentioned below:
- The reduced oxygen level is a major issue for the home occupants. Especially where there is a lack of tree plantations.
- The disgusting, smoky environment causes respiratory issues, especially for asthma patients.
- Lots of people suffer from long-term nasal constraints due to this air pollution, even if they are at home. Because at home it is not always possible to wear a mask.
- People at home get heart diseases, headaches, high blood pressure, etc. for the effect of air pollution.
Some household hazards faced by occupants:
- The main household hazard is dust because of air pollution. A layer of dust is coated every day in all furniture and floors, including fans, refrigerators, AC, etc. This requires an extra cleaning process every day, which is irritating and costly.
- The windows need to shut down in the maximum amount of time to avoid polluted air entering the home, especially the house near a busy road that causes ventilation issues in the house. It traps the moisture, which causes fungal infections.
- Also the home heating issues caused somewhere by the excessive air pollution.
- In most residential areas, drinking waters get contaminated due to air pollution.
Household air pollution
There are not only external’resources’’ for air pollution for the houses. Also some indoor reason for it. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, there are 2.3 billion people who cook in open fire (barning wood into holes in soil) or inefficient burners that consume kerosine, coal, or crop waste. There are some notable hazards happening around the world just because of household air pollution-
- In 2020, there were estimated 3.2 million deaths around the world responsible for household air pollution.
- Casusing the death of 237,000 children under the age of five.
- The combined effect of environmental air pollution and household air pollution is responsible for annually 6.7 million premature deaths.
- Children and women are the prime victims of household air pollution and bear the health burden of using polluting fuels and home technologies.
- Household air pollution causes hardly treatable diseases like strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ischaemic heart disease, and lung cancer.
Effects on Health, Developmental, and Climate Change
Household air pollution is among the most unrecognized catastrophes facing humanity in tackling health, development, and climate change. Indoor air quality worsens while the impacts of that air quality extend beyond individual health into social and ecological realms. The understanding of these impacts shall serve as the foundation for a healthier future.
Health Impacts
As I mentioned earlier, children and the elderly are most vulnerable. In children, it can cause severe respiratory infection; long-term exposure may lead to lower cognitive functioning. Adults are prone to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. These health risks are not confined to poor families; even costly homes have air pollution due to insufficient ventilation and household chemicals.
Developmental Implications
Beyond the immediate health issues, household air pollution has far-reaching development impacts. Poor indoor air quality will continue to act as a stumbling block to educational achievement, especially in children. Exposure to these pollutants may impair cognitive functions and, further along, academic achievement, narrowing future possibilities, and perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Indoor air pollution diseases also have a huge economic burden for treatment. Families may face increased medical expenses, and when caretakers fall sick, their work capacity is compromised, hence reduced total family income. This can indeed turn out to be a vicious circle whereby poor health leads to economic disadvantage, which in turn is limiting for families to invest in cleaner technologies or better living standards.
Climate Change Connection
The link between household air pollution and climate change is rarely stressed. Many household pollutants, particularly those that involve the combustion of fossil fuels, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, aside from particulates, the combustion of solid fuels for cooking emits carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, two potent contributors to global warming.
It can cut as much carbon emissions as it is switching from dirty cooking to cleaner technologies such as electric or solar stoves. Reducing climate change impacts also comes about with increased indoor air quality since healthy homes are more energy-efficient. This dual benefit underlines the importance of incorporating public health initiatives within environmental sustainability strategies.
How to prevent air pollution affect in home environment?
There are certain ways you can prevent household air pollution:
Using clean fuels
Use of clean fuels like biogas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electric stoves, natural gas, and biomass stoves can significantly reduce air pollution from your house.
Planting trees
Planting trees and plants around the house can reduce household air pollution effectively. These trees can have a green buffer for the house and polluted air. Also, the trees will filter the air and increase the oxygen level of your house.
Placing the house far from the busy road
During house design, you should try to keep your house as far as possible from the busy road. Also, this is a matter of urban design; an apartment or house can’t be just beside the road. There need to be certain layers, like a pedestrian way, a bicycle lane, and a green barrier between the house and the road.
Use a good house air quality monitor
Using a branded and good air quality monitor can significantly help to control the household air pollution. A good air quality monitor will get data of –
Carbon-di-oxide level of your house.
PM 2.5, particulate matters of 2.5 microns that come from road traffic and smoke
PM10, Particulate matter witha diameter of 10 microns that comes from dust and other pollutants.
VOC Monitoring, Volatile Organic Compounds that Come from paints, carpets or building materials.
Five house design tips to avoid air pollution in house environment
- Try to avoid building your home in a proper residential area where no industries are nearby.
- Try to avoid road facing windows.
- Place your house in your plot in a convenient position that will not directly facing busy road.
- Design a small solar electric plant in your house premises that can serve the required electricity for the electric stoves.
- Design a well functioning landscape for your house, including long lasting trees and plants that require less solar energy but exhales a lot of oxygen.
Culmination
Carbon emissions in the world are increasing significantly in recent years. That is enormously affecting the home environment along with climates. But some effective awareness, like using clean fuels, planting trees, and reducing carbon emissions, can lessen this pollution and can help us to grow a green home and indeed a green world.