Many of our daily routines at home are unwittingly increasing our exposure to poor air quality, apart external factors like homes, dust, construction, industrial activities, power plants, burning crops, cooking and heating, as well as vehicle emissions (transport accounts for 27% of pollution), greatly contribute to air pollution. These everyday routines may be exacerbating your exposure to AQI or the Air Quality Index (AQI), which evaluates air pollution levels.

However, you can take steps to reduce their effects as it results in health issues like cardiovascular and respiratory disorders and more than 2 million fatalities annually. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sachin Kumar, Senior Consultant - Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine in Bengaluru, highlighted 5 things you need to stop doing now -

1. Ignoring indoor pollution sources:

Contrary to popular belief, remaining indoors does not protect one from air pollution. Household activities such as cooking with specific oils, burning incense or candles, and using chemical-containing cleaning products release pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and particulate matter (PM 2.5 and 10) into the air. These can build up over time, rendering indoor air quality just as dangerous as outdoor air. To lessen indoor pollution, use natural cleaning products and enhance ventilation.

2. Poor home ventilation:

A lot of individuals, particularly in the winter, keep their doors and windows closed, which causes pollutants to accumulate indoors. Sunlight can be a significant factor. A renewable energy source, solar energy can help lower greenhouse gas emissions and enhance air quality. The usage of fossil fuels, a limited resource that contributes to climate change, can be decreased with the use of solar energy. By reflecting sunlight into space, clouds can aid in cooling the earth. Reducing the concentration of dangerous gases like carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) requires adequate ventilation. To maintain clean air, ventilate your home often and use air purifiers with HEPA filters.

3. Smoking indoors:

The dangerous compounds in cigarette smoke significantly lower indoor air quality. Smoking increases your exposure to pollution because it retains these harmful elements inside your house or vehicle.

4. Neglecting the maintenance of HVAC systems:

Usually people neglect to clean their HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems until they discover a fault in it. These systems accumulate dust, mold, and other pollutants that circulate in your living areas.

5. Not wearing masks outside:

People have stopped wearing masks when they go outside because they think they are no longer required but in places with high AQI levels, masks can provide an essential line of defense against breathing in dust, particulate matter and dangerous chemicals. Even brief outdoor excursions in contaminated areas can expose you to high quantities of pollutants, so wearing a mask is a wise precaution.

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