Urban Air Quality: 7 Health Challenges

Almost on a daily basis, we hear about air pollution increasing drastically. But what is the cause? Why should we be alarmed? What are the precautions? More important, how is it affecting us? Find out the answers to these questions in this article. Read on.

Be it a developing country or an already developed country, the rate at which the pollution is increasing is definitely something we should be worried about. While we talk about urbanization and its advantages to society, we just can't deny that it is one of the main reasons behind the rise in pollution levels.

The effects of these pollutants in the air are hard to neglect. Asthma, watery eyes, skin issues are a few of the basic health issues that people face.

Not only the properties like schools, offices, etc. are affected by the rise in pollution level, but the entire population is affected globally. What the environment needs are Air Purifiers. Check out how the air quality is deteriorating and how air purifiers for home and office are the need of the hour.

How does indoor air quality impact the students in schools?

The quality of the air we breathe in affects our body in a number of ways. It is directly associated with the way our body performs too. This stands true for all individuals, including children studying in schools.

Parents usually consider the factor of ‘education quality’ as well as ‘extracurricular activities’ before enrolling their kids in schools. However, a very important factor that gets ignored sometimes is the quality of the air the kids will be breathing in.

Common causes of  poor air quality

The air quality gets affected by a number of factors. The significant ones would include plumbing and architectural issues that the schools face. This impacts the ventilation, heating issues as well as the air conditioning systems in the schools. The chemicals used for cleaning the floors and furniture surfaces in schools also affect the air negatively. All these factors, in turn, result in poor air quality.

·    Cause of multiple health issues

This bad air quality triggers multiple health issues among the students. Various allergies and asthma are the most common medical conditions caught by students due to bad quality air. There are various infections too that are airborne or get spread through the air. The number of people a single student interacts with, in school is fairly huge. This leads to more chances of the infection spreading among multiple people.

·    Significant impact on students’ health

The health of the students has a direct effect on their academic performance. Poor health would imply more absenteeism in schools, thus degrading their academic performance. Enormous research has been conducted on these issues, and it has been observed that the environmental conditions around the students impact their education severely.

Moreover, students are not the only ones affected by bad air quality. The productivity and retention of the teachers at school as well as other staff are too are dependent on the environmental conditions.

How Are The Workspaces Affected By The Quality Of The Air?

It is also essential to do a proper office air quality check. These office air quality issues are increasing day by day. Spending a normal day at work, you won’t even realize what your body is going through. It is the indoor air quality standards for an office building in India that have been playing a major role in the way you work. The mental fatigue, breathing issues, cough, headache, etc. will just lead to ineffective work. The air that you inhale is unnatural. The situation will definitely disturb the way you work. The best solution to the situation is to conduct an office air quality assessment and to install the best air purifier. Install an air purifier and see how effectively you work at the office.

Symptoms observed among the employees at the office

There were several severe symptoms observed amongst a lot of people over a period of time. The most significant ones included painful breathing and respiratory diseases. Quite a few employees also noticed a rapid heartbeat and were detected with heart diseases. Asthma, vomiting, nausea, and anorexia were also diagnosed amongst a few. Noticing these symptoms several studies were conducted. These studies led to a conclusion that the common cause for these conditions was poor indoor air quality.

·    Most Common Causes of poor air quality in offices

Insufficient ventilation is the most common reason for the bad quality of air in the office premises. Air circulation in any indoor space is very important. It basically removes the air contaminants as well as bacteria in the indoor premises.

·    Chemicals that are present around you

There are a lot of contaminants that are present in the air nowadays. From pesticides to paints, the air is full of pollutants that harm the body in some way or the other. The cleaning agents used for cleaning desks and chairs in the workplace also affect the air around.

One simple solution to all of these problems is opting for air quality management in the office space. Various air purifiers for dust or smoke can be used to make surroundings better.

Sick Building Syndrome

In common terms, a sick building syndrome is a medical condition that is typically associated with office workers. It includes office workers suffering from frequent headaches as well as respiratory issues. As per the national audit office air quality, the major cause for this was found to be unhealthy working surroundings.

Especially in urban areas, sick building syndrome is found to be a major occupational hazard. Thus, it is essential that proper measures are taken to reduce the risk of sick building syndrome.

Impact on the productivity at the workplace

The air quality is directly proportional to the quality of work that the employees deliver at the office. The number of pollutants present around them will impact their efficiency. A deteriorated health would result in absenteeism of employees at the office, leading to delayed as well as improper work.

Air quality in urban office buildings is one of the major concerns in the working sector. One of the most practical solutions would be to have office air quality check at regular intervals. This would ensure a decrease in office air quality issues. The solution at hand that these places can opt for is to install an air purifier. This would not only clean the air around but would also make the workplace lively.

Hospital-Acquired Infections due to poor air quality

The quality of air affects all sectors of society in various ways. It stands as a major cause of hospital-acquired infections too. The hospital-acquired infections are mainly caused due to bacterial, viral, and fungal sources. The patients present in the hospital contract certain infections for quite a few reasons. Since the patients are already weak and have less immunity, they are more prone to catching infections. Air acts as the most common mode of transfer of germs. Hospital is one location which has a lot of infections due to multiple affected people housed in a constrained area. You need good air purifiers for smoke, infections and good air circulation in the hospitals.

A serious concern for clinicians

Hospital-Acquired Infections are the most common reason for mortality as well as morbidity and thus, stand as a major challenge for the clinicians. Hospitals acting as the cause of the spread of diseases sound very inappropriate. Maintaining proper hygiene and cleanliness is of utmost importance for every hospital.

·    Diseases spread through the air

Major life-threatening diseases like tuberculosis (or TB) are caused due to Norovirus spread through the medium of air. MRSA is another disease that usually spreads through the air and is a common hospital-acquired infection. These diseases affect the health of those present in the hospital greatly, whether it is the staff, the doctors, patients or visitors.

·    Air quality management is the key solution

These hospital-acquired infections can be greatly avoided by installing good quality air purifiers in hospitals. When there will be good circulation in the hospital premises, the air people inhale will be fresh and pure.

Hence, to ensure an appropriate amount of bacteria dilution to reduce its load and concentration in a closed space, it is essential to have a high-quality air purification system. Opt for an appropriate and best quality air purifier for dust and other pollutants, and you are good to go.

Air purifiers: Need Of the Hour

Let us ponder over the question- why exactly you need an air purifier? To answer your question, listed below are a few reasons as to why you should get one installed around you.

Air purifiers ensure that the air we breathe in is clean

The study shows that indoor air is 2-5 times unhealthier as compared to the outdoor air. Hence, air purifiers would make sure the air you breathe in is clean and healthy.

They trap the allergy-causing microbes

Our surroundings might contain various allergens. These allergens can enter our body via the air we breathe in. An air purifier traps these allergens and ensures that they don’t settle on any surfaces around you.

Helps in removing airborne bacteria

Various small particles such as pollens, mold spores, and other bacteria openly float in the air present in indoor spaces. This can be a major cause for a number of health conditions. An air purifier for mold would ensure that these don’t affect the environment indoors. Air purifiers remove up to 99 percent of the bacteria present in the air.

Benefits of using an air purifier:

Now that the uses of the air purify has been established let us look at the air purifier benefits.

1. Once you begin to use an air purifier at home, you can be sure that your family is taking in clean air which prevents disease and ensures good health.

2.  Not only do air purifiers clean the air, but they also help to eradicate any sort of unpleasant odors in the room.

3.   If you have a furry friend living with you, the air purify also takes in any airborne allergens released by the pet, preventing your home from smelling, or anyone catching any allergy.

4.  The air purifier also helps to get rid of the smoke smell that comes from cigarettes or fireplaces.

5.  Regardless of how spick and span you try to keep your home, there will always be a few specks of dust that settle down. Air purifiers have the ability to catch these dust particles before they settle down on any surface.

6.  Air purifiers have the ability to trap almost all kinds of airborne bacteria and particles like pollen and spores that often are the cause of sickness.

7.  A lot of people suffer from seasonal allergies that are caused due to certain bacteria thriving in the air during certain months of the year. These allergies are often serious and can lead to complications. Air purifies filter the air regularly and drastically reduce the chances of family members falling ill due to allergies.

8.  If you are worried that an air purifier will not suit your home décor, don’t fret. Another benefit of the air purifier is that it is compact, has a sleek design and can fit anywhere. It is available in a range of sizes.

While the list for the benefits and uses of the air purifiers can go on and on, it all boils down to one simple thing: air purifiers, like the name suggests, keeps the air around you clean, preventing any disease from occurring. They maintain the highest air quality standards and must be used in homes, offices, and schools to avoid the spread of infection.

If you still do not have an air purifier installed, do so right away. Do not think it is too late. Better late than never and better safe than sorry! There are ample of air purifier brands available in the market that come with multiple inbuilt features. Moreover, air purifiers are a one-time investment, and at an affordable cost, you will keep your family, employees, and students healthy.