environmental news

United for cleaner air. Change starts with you!

In the framework of the world lung day, which is celebrated every year on September 25, and with the aim of making visible and raising awareness about respiratory health care, the Lovexair Foundation, in line with the call of the WHO and with the support of more than 20 international organizations, is promoting the global campaign “United for cleaner air. The change starts with you!”

 

 

The impact of air quality on our health

According to the World Health Organization, only 12% of the world's urban population breathes clean air, and almost half of them live with pollution 2,5 times higher than recommended levels. The United Nations estimates that more than 7 million people worldwide die from air pollution.

The reality is that every day we live with high levels of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfates and particles (known as PM10 and PM2,5) that are suspended in the air of our cities and that we breathe automatically.

 

That is why this year we have put the focus of our annual campaign around World Lung Day on air pollution and its impact on our general and respiratory health in particular.

 

More than 20 international organizations have joined us to raise awareness about the importance of breathing clean air and protecting our lungs. How? Starting with ourselves:

• Coming together collectively to demand action from local, national and global governments.

 

• Learning to protect our lungs daily, especially in the case of vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and people with respiratory conditions.

 

Where does pollution come from?

Only if we know the source of the damage can we fight it. Therefore, to know how to protect our lungs, we first need to know where the pollution we breathe comes from:

• Indoor pollution: Indoor air pollution can come from sources such as fireplaces, heaters, tobacco, building materials, furniture, cleaning products, humidity and cooling systems. The good news is that, in the case of private homes, we have some control over them, being able to eliminate them or modify their use to reduce their impact.

 

• Outdoor pollution: outdoor sources of pollution, on the other hand, are beyond our control. Global, national and local measures are therefore required to mitigate the effects of smoke and pollution from the energy sector, transport, waste management, urban planning and agriculture.

 

How it affects us

There is a lot of scientific evidence that has evaluated the way in which these pollutants affect the activity of our lungs:

• The calls “MP10 particles” (particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter) can penetrate and lodge inside our lungs, causing irritation and inflammation and damaging the walls of the airways.

 

• Known as “MP2.5 particles” or fine particles (less than 2.5 micrometers) can go further because they cross the pulmonary barrier, entering directly into our bloodstream and potentially affecting major organs in our body and putting us at risk of suffering serious heart and respiratory conditions.

 

• El ozone, nitrogen and sulfur They can also cause the appearance or worsening of asthma, COPD, respiratory symptoms, lung inflammation and reduced proper functioning of our lungs.

 

How can we protect ourselves

When a food makes us feel bad, we just have to stop eating it to avoid the damage. However, it is not so easy to do the same with the air we breathe, simply because we cannot stop breathing. But we can take measures to limit its impact on our health. Here are some of them:

• Avoid walking through busy areas during rush hour.
• Avoid spending time in specific areas with high traffic density, for example, next to cars stopped at traffic lights.
• Avoid using the car on days with high levels of pollution.
• When exercising outdoors, try to do so in areas and times with less environmental pollution.
• Avoid staying in areas where waste is being burned.
• Consider wearing masks when exposure to pollutants is unavoidable, such as in the workplace or on the street during times of high pollution, or in cases of forest fires, volcanic eruptions, desert dust episodes, or during times of cleanup after disasters.
• It includes the habit of checking outdoor or indoor air quality measurement apps on a daily or periodic basis to be aware of the health levels of the air around you.

 

They have joined our campaign:

 

Do you want to join?

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Let's unite our voices and action to be the change we seek!

If you have any questions about this or any other topic related to your lung health, write to us at Cuentanos@lovexair.com and we will respond as soon as possible.