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Indoor Air Quality

Many of us experience some kind of air pollution-related symptoms such as watery eyes, coughing, or wheezing. Even for healthy people, polluted air can cause respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk depends on your current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to the polluted air. People most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are:

·  Individuals with heart disease – such as coronary artery disease or congestive

    heart failure

·  Individuals with lung disease – such as asthma, emphysema or chronic

    obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

·  Pregnant women

·  Outdoor workers

·  Children under age 14, whose lungs are still developing

·  Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors

High air pollution levels can cause immediate health problems:

·  Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness

·  Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body
    with oxygen

·  Damaged cells in the respiratory system

Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects:

·  Accelerated aging of the lungs

·  Loss of lung capacity

·  Decreased lung function

·  Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly

    cancer   

·  Shortened life span

Health Effects from Specific Pollutants

Ground-level Ozone

Ground-level ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) react with the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The primary source of VOCs and NOx is mobile sources, including cars, trucks, buses, construction equipment and agricultural equipment.

Ground-level ozone reaches its highest level during the afternoon and early evening hours. High levels occur most often during the summer months. It is a strong irritant that can cause constriction of the airways, forcing the respiratory system to work harder in order to provide oxygen. It can also cause other health problems:

·  Aggravated respiratory disease such as emphysema, bronchitis and asthma

·     Damage to deep portions of the lungs, even after symptoms such as coughing or a
    sore throat disappear

·  Wheezing, chest pain, dry throat, headache or nausea

·  Reduced resistance to infection

·  Increased fatigue

·  Weakened athletic performance

Particulate Matter (PM)

Particulate Matter is a complex mixture that may contain soot, smoke, metals, nitrates, sulfates, dust, water and tire rubber. It can be directly emitted, as in smoke from a fire, or it can form in the atmosphere from reactions of gases such as nitrogen oxides.

The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Small particles (known as PM2.5 or fine particulate matter) pose the greatest problems because they can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Exposure to such particles can affect both your lungs and your heart.

Scientific studies have linked long-term particle pollution, especially fine particles, with significant health problems including:  

·    Increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways,
    coughing or difficulty breathing
·    Decreased lung function
·    Aggravated asthma
·    Development of chronic respiratory disease in children
·    Development of chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive lung disease
·    Irregular heartbeat
·    Nonfatal heart attacks
·     Premature death in people with heart or lung disease, including death from
     lung cancer

Short-term exposure to particles (hours or days) can:

·  Aggravate lung disease causing asthma attacks and acute bronchitis

·  Increase susceptibility to respiratory infections

·  Cause heart attacks and arrhythmias in people with heart disease
 

Even if you are healthy, you may experience temporary symptoms, such as:

·  Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat

·  Coughing

·  Chest tightness

·  Shortness of breath

Things to do to Spare The Air

1. Drive less
Cars are the major source of air pollution in the Sacramento region. Before getting into your vehicle to run an errand, or go to work, consider alternative means of transportation. Can you get to your destination by walking, biking or public transit? If you leave your car at home one day a week, you prevent 55 pounds of pollution each year from being emitted into our air. And think of the money you'll save on gas, parking and car upkeep.

2. Take public transit

Take transit and let someone else deal with the traffic. Treat yourself to a stress-free commute. You'll also find that public transit can get you to events or weekend activities that might be in your plans. Call 511 www.sacregion511.org or visit for information on how local transit can get you where you're going.

3. Carpool or vanpool to work a few days, or even one day a week

Share a ride. Whether you're driving to work, the gym, a baseball game or the park, find a carpool partner. Take turns driving and give yourselves a break from road-stress a few days a week. Also, many employers and counties have an Emergency Ride Home program that makes cars or taxi vouchers available to carpoolers/vanpoolers and transit-takers in case of emergency or a situation in which your original ride might be unavailable to you. Call 511 or visit www.sacregion511.org to sign up online.

4. Sign up for Air Alert — your free air quality notification via e-mail or cell phone

Air Alert gives you Spare The Air advisories for ground-level ozone or particulate matter when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach 127 or above, plus your choice of daily air quality forecasts and current conditions at monitoring sites in the region.

5. Refuel in the evening and never top off

Putting gas into your vehicle releases Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the air. Throughout the day, these VOCs mix with oxides of nitrogen (NOx), "cook" in the summer sun, and form ground-level ozone. Refueling in the evening decreases the opportunity for VOCs to create ozone.

6. Link your trips

Cold engines pollute up to five times more than warm ones. A cold engine is one that has been sitting for over an hour. When possible, link all of your errands together into one trip to minimize "cold starts". Postpone errands on a Spare The Air Day.

7. Telework

Why commute at all if you can arrange to work from home? You'll save commute time and expenses. Even if you do this just one day a week, you'll be making a difference.

8. Avoid consumer spray products

These aerosol products include hairspray, furniture polish, cooking sprays, bathroom cleaners, air fresheners, antiperspirants, insecticides, and hobby craft sprays. Hair spray alone contributes 12 tons of pollution per day. When buying consumer products, choose solids, sticks, and gels instead. They are more environmentally friendly.

9. It's ok to barbecue, but don't use charcoal lighter fluid

Use an electric starter or chimney briquette starter instead of charcoal lighter fluid. Better yet, replace your charcoal grill with a propane gas grill.

10. Do your garden chores gasoline-free

Avoid gas-powered yard tools such as mowers, blowers, edgers and trimmers — switch to electric-powered tools.