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Published on Leave a comment on Personal Care Products Are A Source of Indoor Air Pollution
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Ever notice that deodorants, lotion, body spray, shampoo, and other personal care products can be smelled in the air long after they have been used? Well... this is because they leave behind a mixture (cocktail) of all sorts of chemicals in the air. Researchers found that a mixture of over 200 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air when these personal care products are used.

These chemicals lower air quality - so they are causing indoor air pollution. New harmful chemicals and particles can even be formed. And yes, these chemicals are then breathed in by us - so they get into our lungs and our bloodstream. They are not healthy for us, but we don't know the full range of long-term effects from constantly breathing in polluted air.

Some examples of the many chemicals released into the air (VOCs) by personal care products are monoterpenes (from added fragrances), acetaldehyde, alcohols, glycols, siloxanes, and alkanes. Monoterpenes are known to be damaging to lung when inhaled.

Bottom line: Open windows, ventilate indoor spaces as much as possible, use air cleaners or purifiers, and use unscented personal care products as much as possible. Also, try to use fewer personal care products.

From phys.org (a science and technology site): How personal care products affect indoor air quality

The personal care products we use on a daily basis significantly affect indoor air quality, according to new research by a team at EPFL. When used indoors, these products release a cocktail of more than 200 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, and when those VOCs come into contact with ozone, the chemical reactions that follow can produce new compounds and particles that may penetrate deep into our lungs. Scientists don't yet know how inhaling these particles on a daily basis affects our respiratory health. ...continue reading "Personal Care Products Are A Source of Indoor Air Pollution"

Published on Leave a comment on Great Resource For Learning About Your Air Quality
Hazardous air quality Credit: Mara Silgailis

Meteorologists are predicting that we (in the US and Canada) will be experiencing more hazardous air quality days in the coming months and years due to wildfire smoke. An excellent resource for monitoring the air quality where you live is AirNow.gov. It has both current air quality and forecasts.

The NY Times currently has interactive air quality maps, which are tracking the wildfires from Canada.

Smoke is air pollution, whether it's from wildfires, cigarettes, or vehicles. It's not just our lungs and internal organs that suffer from smoke with particles smaller than 2.5 microns. (For comparison: A human hair is at least about 20 microns in diameter.) The particles travel from the lungs through our bloodstream to the organs. But our skin also suffers. It causes flares of inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, and increases wrinkles and age spots.

Air pollution is dangerous to everyone!

Some health effects of air pollution: Harm to the lung and airways, damage to most organ systems of the body, lung cancer, COPD deaths, heart disease deaths, stroke deaths, bladder cancer, childhood leukemia, poorer lung development in children, lung impairment in adults, reduced cognitive function, increased risk of dementia, diabetes, effects on immune system, allergic rhinitis, structural changes in the brain, inflammation, and with high levels of smaller than 2.5 μm particles can have delayed psychomotor development and lower child intelligence. And the list goes on!

Do go and check out AirNow.gov and all the links on the site, including an interactive fire and smoke map. Stay indoors (as much as possible) with the windows shut on "unhealthy, very unhealthy, or hazardous" air quality days. Consider wearing masks outdoors and using an air purifier indoors on those days.