Pollution is a problem we cannot see but has consequences on our health, with 15% of Mediterranean deaths being caused by environmental degradation. The air contains PM 2.5 particles, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, and sulphur dioxide, which can cause respiratory problems and other health ailments. HEPA-13 air filters can filter out 99.97% of all pollutants and guarantee clean air in spaces up to 130m2, keeping your space safe, clean and healthy.
No one can doubt the benefits that high technology, as well as globalisation, have brought to our lives. The problem lies, as with everything else, in the excesses. There is no point in hiding it: the technological and economic growth of our nations has been, and continues to be, disproportionate. Not only are we consuming more resources faster, but in the process, we are making a mess of our home; the planet we live on.
This has consequences known to all. The wear and tear on our environment take a heavy toll. According to the WHO, 15% of deaths across the Mediterranean are caused by diseases that are rooted in environmental degradation. Although this is a decade ago, it is relevant to present realities, and it is possible that the percentage has increased (not decreased) in the last ten years.
We speak here mainly of problems with the respiratory system and the degradation of the lungs, but we can also contemplate risks to unborn life, in the form of foetal malformations and general health problems for pregnant women. The reality is always much more subtle than it seems, and we do not need to see grey skies or tobacco smoke in our homes to know that the pollution is there, that the air quality index is getting lower and lower every day, and that our lungs, heart, blood vessels and even blood itself, all hidden from our eyes, are suffering from its effects. If only it were easier to see.
It is worth remembering an important fact. Every day, we breathe between 8,000 and 9,000 litres of air. But it is not the clean air in the mountains, but the dirty air we find in the streets and parks, in our homes and in the offices where we work. Every breath we take is laden with all sorts of pollutants that we cannot see, such as PM 2.5 particles, which are physical waste soaked in toxins. We breathe in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and we breathe in our own carbon dioxide (CO2), which can become dangerous if it accumulates in enclosed spaces. The only way to know that they are present in our environment is by means of chemical detectors.
By themselves, none of these (and other) substances are hazardous. To be considered pollutants, they must be found in high concentrations, which is not the case in conventional situations, although our current air dilemma is anything but conventional.
To the pollutants mentioned above, all of which are present in our streets, homes and offices, we must add a few more. There is, for example, ozone (O3), which forms the atmospheric layer that protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, as well as charged particles from stellar explosions millions of light years from Earth. How can it be harmful to us? The human body has not evolved to be close to it. It becomes toxic the closer it gets to us, so ground-level ozone, produced by power plants and motor vehicles, is considered a hazard. There is also sulphur dioxide (SO2), which results from burning crude oil and coal. It is not a chemical that is often found in our homes, but some of it may enter our interiors when we open the windows to ventilate. Especially if we live or work near industrial areas.
Just because we live in residential areas, away from industry and traffic, does not mean that we are free of these pollutants. Air currents carry them from place to place, sometimes even from country to country and continent to continent. This is called transboundary pollution and there is no way to control it, as no one has control over air and water currents. We will notice their presence in our interiors by the heavy atmosphere we breathe there, maybe by a layer of dirt on our furniture, but there will be no concrete way of knowing they are there. By then our health will have taken a big hit
How these and other pollutants, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), will affect us is not always certain. It depends very much on the concentrations in the air we breathe, as well as the mixtures and time of exposure. It will also depend on how these pollutants affect lung tissue.
Our lungs are the internal organ most directly exposed to polluted air. It is no surprise then that respiratory problems are the most common, although there are also other ailments that can result from polluted air that are not related to the respiratory system, such as osteoporosis. As far as breathing is concerned, indoor and outdoor air pollution can result in a range of problems, both minor and worrying. There are the various forms of irritation, in the throat and nose. There is the coughing and what is known as wheezing, a high-pitched sound heard when breathing, as air moves through the lung passages. There are also breathing pains and an impoverished lung capacity. Pathologies eventually worsen, and this leads to an increase in infections. This, in turn, is linked to premature death from respiratory or heart disease.
None of us knows for sure, but it is true that there are populations at risk. Children and the elderly are the two largest groups. The former because their body strength is still developing. The latter because their bodies are in a state of gradual weakening. Those suffering from respiratory diseases such as asthma or bronchitis are even more at risk, so extra care must be taken to keep the indoor spaces in which they live clean.
The enemy is invisible, but its ravages are felt by all. Outdoors, the least we can do is to avoid going for walks or exercising during peak traffic hours. Indoors, maintaining good ventilation is always a first action, but not the most appropriate. The use of plants is a way to enhance the purity of indoor air, although we must be careful to choose the right species, as the type of leaf, its thickness and geometry, as well as its molecular composition, will determine its effectiveness. Similarly, plants are life forms, and like all life forms, polluted air also affects them. The more they absorb, the more they wear out and consequently die.
HEPA-13 air filters are the best way to put a stop to pollution in our homes and workplaces. At AIR 8 we have developed several solutions that use these filtration methods. Just because we can’t see PM 2.5 particles, NO2, or a virus like Covid-19 doesn’t mean we can’t do something about it.
HEPA-13 technology is medical grade. That means you’ll find it in the places where breathing clean air matters most. With it, we guarantee that 99.97% of all pollutants will be filtered out of your home or workplace. If there is a source of NO2 in your home, such as old and broken appliances, with our products you can get rid of its danger. Pathogens of all kinds, pollen, hair, fungus, and spores are all trapped and filtered by our products, which achieve an area of action of up to 130 m2.
The quality of our products is guaranteed by the CE mark, which testifies that each one has been manufactured according to the highest standards of ecological manufacturing, as well as the effectiveness of its services. Right now, you may be breathing in pollutants that you cannot see, but you will feel their effects in the future, so why not contact us for more information? At AIR8 we have what you need to make your space safe, clean and, above all, healthy. Visit our catalogue and see the best option for your business.