The air quality index in Delhi and neighbouring cities has already dipped to “very poor” with AQI recorded at a dangerous level (above 300), making people stay indoors. But we usually ignore indoor pollution and believe that our home is the safest place where outdoor diseases cannot harm us. Hence, we just do not invest in any air purifiers, smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors, etc.
But particulate matter (PM) is the main cause of indoor pollution that gets accumulated due to cooking, insecticides, heating, smoking, candles, etc. Is your home air making you sick? Pollution due to particulate matter is one of the biggest concerns in today’s era. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sachin Kumar, Senior Consultant - Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine in Bengaluru, explained, “Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are easily available inside your house because these pollution particles come from sources you use to clean or from personal products, vehicles, etc.
” He elaborated, “They can attack respiratory airways, affecting lung function and cause childhood asthma, oxygen saturation, COPD, heart disease, low birth rate and also cancer. The burning of biomass fuels also leads to increase in concentration of PM 2.5 and VOC.
” Dr Sachin Kumar recommended some actions that can help us to purify or clear indoor air pollution: 1. Avoid second-hand smoking (exhaled cigarette smoke) and third-hand smoking (smoke found on clothes, surfaces, etc.).
2. Formaldehyde is.
