6 Ways to Protect Children from Air Pollution

Air is one of the many things that we all share. As it moves around the globe a wide range of contaminants, allergens, VOC’s and more can be spread, negatively affecting millions. Of those affected, children can be especially at risk of breathing problems and complications.

The effects of air pollution are serious, and we need to do our best to ensure ourselves and our loved ones are breathing clean air. Providing clean air through purification is a crucial step in this process. According to the World Health Organization, “the very air we breathe is growing dangerously polluted: nine out of ten people now breathe polluted air, which kills 7 million people every year. The health effects of air pollution are serious – one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution. This is an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco, and much higher than, say, the effects of eating too much salt.” The go to say, “Air pollution is hard to escape, no matter how rich an area you live in. It is all around us. Microscopic pollutants in the air can slip past our body’s defenses, penetrating deep into our respiratory and circulatory system, damaging our lungs, heart and brain.”

Knowing that the effects of air pollution are so serious and that we need to do our best to protect ourselves and our loved ones by providing clean pure air is a crucial step. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of:

6 ways to help protect our children from indoor air pollution

1. Don’t smoke indoors or near children.
2. Monitor carbon monoxide with a detector and have fuel-burning appliances inspected by a qualified technician once a year to keep the deadly gas away your children.
3. Don’t idle vehicles inside garages which are attached to your home- engine exhaust can release deadly carbon monoxide indoors.
4. When painting or remodeling use low-VOC paints which don’t have highly toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.
5. Ensure gas stoves are in good repair and are well ventilated when cooking or baking.
6. Clean up after pets – pet related allergies can be triggered by an animal’s saliva, urine, feces and hair or dander.

In addition to these excellent tips, we highly recommend creating a whole-home clean air solution comprised of an air purifier in each room of the home, paired with filters designed to address your specific air concerns.

How can I Ensure My Air Is Clean?

There are various attributes to look for when making a decision on an air purifier and filter.

Look for these specifications:

• Multi-stage filtering for various sizes of particles
• Ability to eliminate offensive odors
• Microbial filter technology
• Efficiency for the proper amount of square footage per room
• True HEPA materials certified

At APC we’ve found that many substandard purifiers on the market do not meet some or all of these important designations and may provide a false sense that you are breathing the cleanest air possible. That is why we only offer the best air purifiers and filters available.

Remember to ask yourself the following questions when you search for an air purifier.

How Important Is Air Quality To My Child?

According to the American Lung Association, “Children face special risks from air pollution because their lungs are growing and because they are so active and breathe in a great deal of air.

Just like the arms and legs, the largest portion of a child’s lungs will grow long after he or she is born. Eighty percent of their tiny air sacs develop after birth. Those sacs, called the alveoli, are where the life-sustaining transfer of oxygen to the blood takes place. The lungs and their alveoli aren’t fully grown until children become adults. In addition, the body’s defenses that help adults fight off infections are still developing in young bodies. Children have more respiratory infections than adults, which also seems to increase their susceptibility to air pollution.”

How Can I Protect My Child Before Birth?

Several studies have found air pollution linked to harm to children while they are still in the womb. A large study in California found that higher particle-pollution levels increased the risk of preterm birth. Pregnant women exposed to even low levels of particle pollution had higher risk for preterm birth in a Boston study. Preterm births occurred more frequently when particle pollution spiked, as an Australian study found, even when the researchers controlled for other risk factors. Having a whole-home, clean air solution consisting of properly sized air purifiers and paired with the correct filters which address specific air concerns can make a huge impact on the quality of your air, for your baby, and the rest of the family.

What Type of Purifier Do I need?

This question may not have a simple answer. We encourage you to reach out to our team of experts in order to ensure that you purchase the most effective solution to your clean air concerns. Remember, air purifiers are a one purifier, one room solution, and filter choices can make a significant impact as well.

Breathing pure, clean air is a crucial part to keeping children, and the whole family, happy and healthy. Air quality is in the same line of importance as your food and water and we encourage all those interested in improving their air quality to take this to heart.