Air pollution facts by LifeTime electrostatic performance air filter systems
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Air pollution in our buildings makes people sick causing breathing problems and promotes cancer in the human body. Air pollution harms the plants and animals as well as the ecosystems in which they live. Toxic air pollution is an even bigger problem for our children in that they breathe much quicker than do adults. According to the California Department of Education, asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism. |
Indoor air pollution facts:
Indoor air pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems in our homes and buildings. The California Air Resources Board estimates indoor air pollution levels are 25-62% greater than outside levels and can pose serious health problems. Indoor air pollution health effects may be experienced soon after exposure or even years later.
Americans spend approximately 80-90% of their time inside buildings so exposure to harmful indoor air pollution can be serious.
Immediate health effects can appear after a single exposure. These effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue but are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes the treatment is to simply eliminate the person's exposure to the source of the pollution. Symptoms of other diseases such as asthma, allergies, hypersensitivity, and humidifier fever, may also show up soon after exposure to indoor air pollutants.
Long-term health effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer, may be severely debilitating or fatal and show up years after exposure has occurred. Improving the indoor air quality in your home is wise even if symptoms are not noticeable.
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Some sources of indoor air pollution consist of:
Gases emitted by household cabinetry or furnishings constructed of pressed wood products.
- Fumes from household products and solvents used for cleaning, maintenance, personal care, air fresheners, pesticides, remodeling and/or hobby projects.
- Fumes from indoor activities such as smoking and cooking.
- Dander released into the air from people and their pets.
- Gases emitted by building materials including asbestos, damp carpet and paints.
- Fumes from combustion sources such as tobacco products, oil, gas, kerosene, coal and wood.
- Radon, a natural radioactive gas that is released from the earth in some areas of the country.
Outdoor air pollution facts:
Several well-known main types of pollution include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer. Each of which creates problems and can have serious implications on our health and well-being and that of our planet.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under authority of the Clean Air Act establishes air quality standards to protect the environment and the public’s health. The EPA sets national air quality standards for six principal air pollutants; nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and lead (Pb). From 1990 to 1999, toxic air pollution emissions declined by 30%.
Outdoor air pollution overview:
- One 1960 model vehicle produced roughly the same amount of air pollution as 20 of today’s models.
- America has decreased the release of air pollutants by 50 million tons plus since 1970.
- The presence of lead in our Nations air has decreased by 96 percent from the mid-1970s levels
- There has been a 43 percent drop of days where air pollution exceeded allowable levels between 1980 and 1999.
- Air pollution in the United States has dramatically decreased over the last three decades as a result of the combined efforts of individuals, industry and government.
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Additional resources on air pollution facts:
www.cleanairprogress.org Foundation for Clean Air Progress provides facts, statistics, and information about air pollution and clean air...
www.nsc.org Fact sheet; Air pollution is the contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances...
epa.gov Air pollution facts, clean air, and air quality information is provided by the US EPA's...
