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What is particle pollution?
Particle pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency is “a general term for a mixture of solid and liquid droplets suspended in the air.” In other words, these are tiny particles floating around in your air. Some common particles include the obvious culprits - dirt, dust, smoke, and soot. Although these are the obvious ones, something most people aren’t aware of is that it’s not always as obvious when they are surrounding you. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “some particles are big enough (or appear dark enough) to see — for example, you can often see smoke in the air. Others are so small that you can’t see them in the air.” So it’s safe to say that even if you can’t see these particles, they are most likely still there.
How does particle pollution impact my health?
According to the CDC, “Breathing in particle pollution can be harmful to your health. Coarse (bigger) particles, called PM10, can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat. Dust from roads, farms, dry riverbeds, construction sites, and mines are types of PM10. Fine (smaller) particles, called PM2.5, are more dangerous because they can get into the deep parts of your lungs — or even into your blood.” Now you might be thinking, “If I just stay inside more often I will be better off, right?” This is not necessarily true. The smaller particles that you may be exposed to outdoors, because of their size, are able to penetrate into your home easily without detection. Because of this, it is crucial to protect yourself and your family from this pollution, as long-term exposure can have harmful health effects.
How can I protect myself and my loved ones from particle pollution?
Particle pollution surrounds us, and it's most likely not going away any time soon. So how can you protect yourself and your family from the hidden dangers of particle pollution? Focus on the things you can control. Here are 5 quick tips that can help:
2. Try to distance yourself from busy roads and highways. Particle pollution is typically heavier in these areas because of the high amount of emissions coming from the cars and trucks on the road.
4. When cooking indoors, use exhaust fans if you have them. If you do not have an exhaust fan, opening up a window or two can help increase the ventilation.
We hope that you found this information helpful. Here at Filter Factory, our mission is to educate and bring more awareness to the air quality issues we face every day and to hopefully inspire action to combat these issues. Please feel free to comment if you found this type of content helpful, and share this with your friends and family if you think they could benefit from the information!
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/air/particulate_matter.html
https://www.epa.gov/pmcourse/what-particle-pollution
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/reduce-your-exposure-particle-pollution
3 Comments
Jordana
So many amazing tips for protecting yourself and good to think about how you can even in your own home. Every step counts!
Sammi L
What a great article! I didn’t realize all of the particles that come into our homes, especially from candles! This was a great reminder to change out my air filters more often!
Lindsey
Such an informative and useful article! I didn’t realize candles and incense could have such an affect, thank you for suggesting a great alternative with the essential oil diffuser!
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