Date Published: 06/17/2020 [Source]
Air pollution is an unfortunate result of vehicle exhaust, building energy, factory emissions, and environmental waste. Poor air quality can provoke numerous chronic health conditions such as asthma or could develop into life-threatening cancer. Both of these could be avoided by reducing airborne toxins and other similar factors that put our overall health at risk.
Clean Air Day is June 20th and this is an opportunity to acknowledge air pollution as a compelling and ongoing issue that is detrimental to long term health. During the age of COVID-19, people with respiratory diseases and those living in places with severe air pollution face an increased vulnerability of contracting this virus. With these issues at the forefront, air pollution is a weighty topic that requires awareness. As air pollution is a strong indicator of general wellbeing, reviewing the potential diseases and health conditions of hazardous air pollution leads to improved vigilance concerning respiratory health.
While ambient air quality is difficult to control, indoor air pollution is also consequential, and oftentimes is easier to manage. Mold, dust, asbestos, lead, radon, and formaldehyde are sources of respiratory diseases. Evidently, increased time spent indoors where poor air quality is not mitigated, any one of these carcinogens or toxins will elicit a negative response creating allergic reactions, risk of infections, or sickness.
The good news is that indoor air quality usually only brings discomfort. Occasionally leading to cold-like symptoms or worsened allergies, removing the pollutant should quickly improve one's health. Typically, this is done by installing ventilation for mold, hiring an abatement professional in cases of asbestos exposure, or installing a radon mitigation system.