Question

How can exposure to air pollution be reduced indoors and outdoors? (Site 1)

Answer 1

1. Don’t smoke and avoid second-hand smoke. Cigarette smoke is known to reduce your cardiorespiratory health and increase the risk of developing cancers. Talk to your physician, pharmacist or visit QuitNow.ca to get free help with smoking cessation. Try to avoid exposure to second-hand smoke.  

2. Pay attention to local air quality advisories. Try to reduce your exposure to outdoor air pollution by spending more time inside when air pollution levels are high. If you have allergies to plants try to avoid parks during pollen season.      

3. Get cardiovascular exercise. Exercise improves your cardiovascular and respiratory health. Studies suggest that fitness reduces your susceptibility to the harmful effects of air pollution. Getting more than 2.5 hours a week of vigorous aerobic activity is ideal, but every little bit helps. Try to exercise indoors when outdoor air pollution levels are high.    

4. Walk, cycle or use public transportation. Try to walk or cycle, rather than drive, to get around as this improves your fitness and does not produce any air pollution. For longer trips take public transport to reduce local air pollution.      

5. Reduce air pollution generation at home. Try to heat and power your home using renewably generated electricity. Alternatively, burn smart by replacing wood stoves with electric or gas furnaces. Take advantage of local wood stove exchange programs. Consider replacing any gasoline burning machines that you own, i.e. lawn mowers, leaf blowers, snow plows, string trimmers, chainsaws, with battery or electric versions.    

6. Use indoor HEPA air filters. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter based air conditioning and air purifier systems can reduce the particulate matter and allergens in indoor air. However, avoid ‘ionic’ or filter-free systems as these often generate high amounts of the air pollutant ozone.

Answer 2

Answer:

The answer is: How to reduce air pollution outside: in 7 ways. How to take care of indoor air quality: in 9 ways.

Explanation:

Reducing air pollution requires a lot of work of all kinds, but we can also contribute from our personal activity.

A) How to reduce outdoor air pollution:

1.- Use of public transport and use of the private car only when it is completely necessary. Or, share private cars between several people. The fewer cars, the less emissions.

2.- Choose, when buying the car, a model of low energy consumption.

3.- Carry out an annual review of the car to verify that the vehicle does not contaminate more than allowed. A car in good condition will always pollute less.  

4.- Of course, any displacement that can be done by bicycle or walking is less polluting than any car.

5.- Recycling not only decreases the amount of garbage on the planet, it also helps to keep the air cleaner: resources are used and that way the manufacturing processes that generate gases harmful to the atmosphere are considerably reduced.

6.- Use spirits taking care that they are environmentally friendly and do not generate greenhouse gases.

7.- Take care of the green areas of the cities: many or few, they function as the oxygen lung of the urban centers. They do not generate as much oxygen as in the field, but they can help absorb CO2.

B) How to take care of indoor air quality:

1.- Use energy saving light bulbs: with this you will be able to have the same light through the use of efficient energy.  

2.- Do not waste water: showering and not bathing, having a double discharge system in the bathroom cistern or closing the taps when you are not using the water.

3.- Consume sustainable products and reduce meat in the diet, it is a way to create food overproduction and, therefore, to reduce emissions.

4.- Ventilate the house daily. Although it seems obvious, adequate ventilation is very important to improve indoor air quality.

5.- Having indoor plants helps to renew the air naturally and effectively.

6.- Do not smoke indoors and go out to the terrace.

7.- When cooking, especially if food is fried, ventilate the kitchen well by opening the windows and use smoke extractors, since the frying produces a great contamination of the domestic air.

8.- Using air purifiers is highly recommended to clean the environment and make it healthier.

9.- In summer, use the air conditioning rationally if you have it. Find the exact temperature to keep the house cool and do not abuse its use, since it consumes a lot of energy.

The answer is: How to reduce air pollution outside: in 7 ways. How to take care of indoor air quality: in 9 ways.