Category: Pollution

What is the right mask and how do you choose it?

There is quite a large range of pollution masks on the market. Many have been proven to filter out more than 80% of PM2.5 particles. However, many masks simply block large dust particles or the sun.

There are many different types of masks. For a daily commuter, the most important things to look for include: the size, fit, and seal on their face, as well as the filtration rates printed on the packaging or info slips, backed up by certification agencies.

Next, the mask should be adjustable so that it can be made looser or tighter to fit the individual. Although many brands don’t allow a person to test before they buy, it is important to try a mask on to see if it is comfortable, and if there is a good seal. Brands like AryMask allow customers to try the mask on before they buy in order to make sure there is a full seal.

As a more active outdoors person, a pollution mask that is stretchy and adjustable, that stays on the face as you move is the best choice. For someone who uses a mask to commute by motorbike, elasticity is less of an issue. If a person is outside for more than an hour a day, and the air pollution levels are over 100 PM2.5, they should protect themselves with a pollution mask. If they walk around polluted areas with lots of vehicles, or If they use a bicycle, they will be breathing in about 7 times more air than if sitting on a motorbike.

In the hot weather, it is important that a user can wear a mask even when it’s extremely hot. Only a few models of masks are made from mesh materials, while other materials such as neoprene tend to be very hot. For a humid climate, it’s best to use a light colored mask that will let the air flow around the filter.

To see a competitor comparison table as well as the factors that differ between pollution mask options, please see our feature comparison.

Do our lungs clean themselves?

Yes! Our lungs are self-cleaning. You can also help your lungs breathe easy.

If you’re a smoker, have exposure to air pollution, or have a chronic condition like asthma, COPD or cystic fibrosis, you’re probably happy to know that your lungs are cleaning as you read this.

Our lungs rebuild by growing new cilia. Cilia are what helps us keep our airways clear of mucus and dirt.

There are so many bad particles in the air we breathe that we often worry when we feel a sharp pain in our lungs.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to air pollution results in 4.2 million deaths worldwide each year Source. Lungs are self-cleaning because they repair themselves. Chronic conditions, such as COPD, asthma, and cystic fibrosis, cause excess mucus production or unusually thick mucus that can clog the lungs. There are some easy ways to help your lungs clean themselves, but for the most part they do the work on their own.

Here are 24 Facts about Lung Health

  • 384 million people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 3 million die from it each year, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide [1].
  • 10 million people develop tuberculosis and 1.6 million die from it each year, making it the most common lethal infectious disease [2].
  • 1.76 million people die from lung cancer each year, making it the deadliest cancer [3].
  • 334 million people suffer from asthma [1].
  • Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, affecting 14 percent of children globally − and rising [1].
  • 4 million people die from lower respiratory tract infections and pneumonia each year [1].
  • Every minute, 2 children under 5 years old die from pneumonia [4].
  • 80 percent of pneumonia deaths are in children under 2 years [4].
  • Most (99 percent) deaths occur in low or middle-income countries [4]
  • Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in the very young and very old.
  • Passive smoke exposure also leads to respiratory disease. Since 1964, about 2.5 million nonsmokers died from health problems caused by exposure to second-hand smoke [1].
  • 4.2 million people die every year as a result of exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution [5].
  • 3.8 million people die every year as a result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cookstoves and fuels [5].
  • 91 percent of the world’s population live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits [5].

Source link here

Here are 7 ways you can clear your airways:

1. Steam Therapy

Inhaling steam can momentarily help open your airways to help drain mucus. In cold or dry air you may feel it’s more difficult to breathe. Steam adds warmth and moisture, helping to loosen the mucus inside your airways and lungs. This is however only a temporary solution.

2. Controlled coughing

Coughing is a way for you to clear your airways. Doctors suggest that patients with COPD perform steps to control your cough.

  1. Sit on a chair with shoulders relaxed, keep both feet flat on the floor
  2. Fold your arms over your stomach
  3. Slowly inhale through your nose
  4. Slowly exhale while pushing the arms against the stomach
  5. Cough 2 or 3 times while exhaling with your mouth slightly open
  6. Slowly inhale through the nose
  7. Rest and repeat if you feel it helps

3. Drain mucus from the lungs

These processes also help remove mucus from your lungs. Basically, slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Each exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. It’s called 1:2 breathing.

  1. Lay on your back on the floor or a bed, place pillows under your hips, and breathe 1:2 for a few minutes.
  2. On your side, rest your head on your arm or pillow. Place pillows under your hips and breathe 1:2. Repeat on the other side to clear your other lung.
  3. On your stomach place a stack of pillows under your stomach. Lie on them but keep your hips above your chest. Fold your arms under your head for support and practice the same 1:2 breathing pattern.

4. Exercise can improve your physical and mental health. It can reduce the chance of getting many health conditions, including heart and lung disease or strokes. When the muscles work harder, your breathing rate increases which supplies more oxygen to your muscles. It also improves circulation which in turn makes your body more efficient hen removing carbon dioxide.

5. Green tea has many good antioxidants that can reduce inflammation in your lungs. In a recent study in Korea looking at 1000 people, those who drank 2 cups of green tea a day had better lung function.

6. Anti-inflammatory foods. Here are 8 foods that fight inflammation:

    1. Turmeric
    2. Leafy greens
    3. Cherries
    4. Blueberries
    5. Olives
    6. Walnuts
    7. Beans
    8. Lentils

7. Cupping your hand and hitting your chest is another great way to remove excess mucus from your lungs. Rhythmically tap your chest wall to open up your airways and loosen some of the mucus in your lungs. Then use postural drainage to help clear your airways.

Outlook

We know that the fear of not being able to breathe is really scary. Our lungs are what keeps us breathing, so it’s important that you know that our lungs rebuild. An ex-smoker’s lungs can actually reduce their odds of dying from smoking by half after 10 years of quitting. Inflammation decreases and the chemicals that pass through the airways do not irritate the lining within.

Although our lungs have ways to protect themselves from damage, and do rebuild, long term exposure to chemicals and air pollution is not reversible. Damaged airways lose their shape and elasticity, as the alveoli in our lungs cannot exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide as efficiently.

It will really help to prevent your airways from getting clogged in the first place. Good ideas are to reduce second hand smoke, get a high quality mask for outdoors, get an air purifier in your home, and to keep your apartment clean.

How does active carbon remove small particles?

Using Active Carbon to Remove Particles???

What?!

Don’t we burn wood and coal which creates particle pollution and smoke that adds to greenhouse gasses? Yes, people have burned wood for a very long time, releasing smoke and gasses into our environment.

So how is it made?

Dense fibrous wood like hardwood or coconut shells are best to turn firewood into coal. It is normally cooked in a contained environment to speed up the process of creating charcoal. Once the charcoal is thoroughly cooked it has to be cooled down and rinsed to remove ashes. It is then crushed down and dried. Next the charcoal is mixed with calcium chloride or alternatives like lemon juice. Then the charcoal is cooked again to be activated.

Active carbon is a type of coal that is made from burning wood at high temperatures. Charcoal is treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. Each carbon particle/granule of carbon provides a large surface area/pore structure, allowing contaminants the maximum possible exposure to the active sites within the filter media. One pound (450 g) of activated carbon contains a surface area of approximately 100 acres. Active charcoal carbon filters are most effective at removing chlorine, sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), taste and odour from water.

How does activated carbon remove particles?

Charcoal filters come in different forms such as solid carbon, impregnated foam materials, powder and cloth. The use of special manufacturing techniques results in highly porous charcoals that have surface areas of 300-2,000 square meters per gram. These so-called active, or activated, charcoals are widely used to adsorb odorous or colored substances from gases or liquids. The word adsorb is important here. When a material adsorbs something, it attaches to it by chemical attraction. The huge surface area of activated charcoal gives it countless bonding sites. When certain chemicals pass next to the carbon surface, they attach to the surface and are trapped.

The most advanced activated carbon filters, like those found in Blueair air purifiers, are infused with other compounds like magnesium dioxide and copper oxide to remove even more hazardous pollutants from the air, such as carbon monoxide, ethylene oxide, and ozone. Some modern activated carbon filters are also more adept at preventing a buildup of bacteria that can occur naturally over time.

The Best Filters For Polluted Air

Ideally, a HEPA filter is used to remove the majority of polluted air. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. A true HEPA filter is one that can trap 99.97 percent of dust particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter. The filter material is able to trap the particles because it is made up of very dense glass fibers. Dust particles either get stuck on impact, interception or diffusion.

HEPA filters were originally developed to clean up radioactive particles in the nuclear industry. Nowadays the filters are commonly found in households. A genuine and certified HEPA filter will guarantee prevention against mold, bacteria and viruses.

To put that in perspective, microparticles that are emitted from car exhaust is usually described as PM10 size or less than 10 microns wide. HEPA filters are therefore the best filters for closed areas.

However, people cannot wear HEPA filters as masks because they need a fan or machine to push air through them to work efficiently.

When it comes to respiratory equipment, NIOSH (the testing agency that certifies filters) recognizes 9 different types based on efficiency. Letters refer to the filter’s resistance to oils. N means not resistant to oil, R is oil resistant, and P is oil proof. The 95 label is tested to prevent against 95% of PM2.5 particles, the 99 label prevents 99% or more, and the 100 labelled masks are efficient against 99.97% of PM2.5 particles.

Active carbon is one of the most porous filter materials and is mostly used in water filters but has recently also been woven into fabrics for respirators. Active carbons can catch as much as 99.99% of particles 0.12 microns and above, about 2 times as small as what a HEPA filter removes.

The questions for some is if the pollution they are encountering is also going to be able to get into their eyes. In a place that has chemicals and toxic vapors floating in the air, a full-face respirator with organic vapor filters is best. This kind of mask should prevent against pesticides, epidemics, chemicals, as well as any particles over 0.3 microns in size.

If pollutants won’t get into the eyes, a respirator with a pair of P100 filters will do well in preventing the breathing of all toxins. A 3M gas mask is less costly than a full-face mask and the filter cartridges can be purchased separately. For different situations, the right cartridges can be used, and P100 filters can also be attached to most half size respirators.

Next in line is a high quality FFP3 certified mask, which means it’s an N99 mask called the 3M Aura 9332+. This is the disposable fabric mask that has high resistance to particles due to the thick microfiber you breathe through when wearing it. It won’t last that long though due to its rather flimsy straps.

Other N99 rated masks are the next best masks which comply with NIOSH ratings to block particles as small as 0.3 microns. There are numerous masks with N99 ratings made by many factories and branded by large or small brands like HoneyWell, 3M or Zelbuck.

Then we go down a level in protection to a respirator that blocks 97% of organic vapors, which drops it down to fit into the N95 rating.

Disposable fabric masks are usually also rated N95, which means they block 95% of PM2.5 particles, but do not resist oils. We have seen more and more affordable options available recently.

Exhalation valves are great to have on a mask because they allow you to breathe out. If you are sick however, do note that your coughs, sneezes or exhales will leave the mask through the valves. We provide masks for hot climates so they need to have valves, and we suggest to remove the mask when you sneeze or cough so your filter does not get contaminated.

Do be careful though that there are manufacturers that do not test their masks but still go ahead and stamp them with the N95, N99 or other labels. We’ve tested the fakes and they tend to only block 60-90% of particles. If you’re hesitating buying a mask because it has such an affordable price, do check the box or papers for its lot code which you can check on the manufacturer’s website for authenticity.Image result for how to tell if a 3M mask is fake

The Negative Effects of Long-term Pollution

Those affected most by pollution are young people with developing lungs, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems. According to WHO, there are 4.2 million people dying EVERY year from air pollution. It is very difficult for many people to escape the harmful effects of air pollution as they likely have very low wages and don’t have much of an option of where they can move to. No matter where you live, these small particles are leaking into your home environments and deep into your lungs where they cause permanent damage.

Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people’s nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. The types of pollution include fossil fuel combustion usually used to make electricity or in other industrial production. Particulate matter is created from factories and cars, but also through natural events like forest fires and dust storms.

The impact on the human body can be aggravated asthma, irregular heartbeats, decreased lung function, increased coughing, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death, according to the EPA.

To prevent against the dangerous of small particles, we should invest in air purifiers in the areas we spend most of our time in, and masks for when we are out and about.

“The true cost of climate change is felt in our hospitals and in our lungs. The health burden of polluting energy sources is now so high, that moving to cleaner and more sustainable choices for energy supply, transport and food systems effectively pays for itself,” says Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.