How Pollution Drives Air Filter Sales

Indoor air quality is an important factor in your habitat for health. The air itself is not bad, but what it contains can be hazardous to your health. To get a better idea about what is going on in our home and office indoor environments let's take a closer look at what we're dealing with.

Air, the atmosphere we breathe, is made up of gas and particulates. In general Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases that surround the planet and is retained by Earth's gravity. Air contains about 78% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, trace amounts of other gases, and a variable amount of water vapor.

Air pollution is a chemical, particulate matter, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on Earth and is constantly changing.

Although air and its pollutants may be considered separately, it is reasonable to assume that pure air can only exist where there are no pollutants. This means that all air does have some type of chemical, particulate, and biological pollutants.

For example, chemicals in the air are in a vapor state and some can be sensed by their odor like perfume or gasoline. Particulates, or particulate matter, are aerosols or fine particles of solid or liquid suspended in air. Aerosols occur naturally, originating from volcanoes, dust storms, forest and grassland fires, living vegetation, and sea spray.

Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy to power our homes, offices, and factories also contribute to air pollution. Biological agents in the air may include pollen, mould spores, and other microorganisms or germs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulate

The human body is equipped to a point to deal with pollutants but we also have learned how to protect ourselves from high concentrations. For example special protection is used when fighting fires and handling chemicals. Some people take antihistamines to counteract the effects of allergic reactions. A common form of protection are air filters and filter efficiency varies according to the situation.

For example, people who work in hazardous conditions are usually equipped with personal air filter protection devices like a mask or respirator. However, one of the fastest growing indicators of pollutant concentration are indoor human habitats like offices, homes and factories. The reason for this is a growing amount of air pollution in cities that is held in the atmosphere and most often seen as smog, smoke or exhaust fumes.

Although air quality is measured in some urban locations and posted along with UV and other climate indicators of temperature and humidity, not a lot is said about how outdoor pollution is having an effect on the indoor environment. After all, every building is a gas chamber and the gas of preference is air, or as close to it as we can get. Since air is known to contain pollutants and buildings are designed to exchange inside pollutants with outside "fresher" air, the question arises whether indoor air is less polluted or not?

Unfortunately, in cities the air is not that fresh any more and we end up exchanging or mixing pollutants in a way that complicates our indoor air pollution. So, what can be done and who can do it are subjects I discuss on my Habitat for Health blog that focuses on air filters, air cleaners, and air purifiers. My blog is a place where you can pick up tips and request more information about how you can create your own habitat for health.