Indoor air pollution
Did you have any idea that the air we breathe inside our house can be more harmful to our health than the air we breathe when we walk through a busy city? Indoor pollution is getting more and more common nowadays and few people actually know the dangers caused by this.
In the developed countries the existence of petrochemical industries is very common. These industries produce threatening substances to our well being named Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), in other words, thousands of chemical substances which easily evaporate and bind to the organic structures of living creatures. These compounds are considered to be the most dangerous pollutants of the air in our homes.
And the question is: How do these compounds enter our houses? The VOC are present in most of the materials used in the structure of any divisions inside our houses. Some examples of the materials where we can find these compounds are glues, paints, decorative fabrics, furniture, etc. Furthermore, the household products we use everyday also have these organic compounds in their composition.
Did you know that in developed countries the air quality inside our houses can be much more worrying than the quality of the air outside?
>> Start by getting rid of all the products which integrate artificial flavors like fresheners, insense and scented candles. Instead of those products, choose those which are made with natural essences;
>> Rather than using insecticides and antifungal products opt by ecological and natural solutions;
>> To take care of your plants, utilize biological products;
>> When you dry clean your clothes don’t take them directly to your room or closet.; let the clothes breathe approximately for 3 weeks;
>>Don’t use spray cleaning products. The chemical substances by which these products are composed spread through all the house and easily contact with the skin and can even be ingested;
>> Don’t smoke indoors;
>> Open the windows whenever you can so that all the air can be renewed.
The consequences of our exposition to the air pollution can be immediate or take years to express themselves.
The most usual and instant effects are eye, nose and throat irritation, headache, dizziness and weariness. In general, these symptoms are temporary and curable.
However, the VOC can lead to more serious situations critical to our health. When these compounds contact with our cells, they alter their behaviour. The major dangers are the effect on the hormone receptors to the breast, prostate and colon.
The VOC block and complicate the communication between cells when they connect with the receptors. This causes a decrease of the cognitive abilities such as memory, logic, focus, and it can also lead to serious changes on our immune system. Changes on the genetic expression which supports the development of multiple forms of cancer are ordinary as well.
Catarina Sousa
But what are the dangers we are exposed to?
Ways to decrease the air pollution indoors
Indoor air pollution