|
Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to
Genetic Abnormalities
by SixWise.com
Polluted air is all around us. It's outside, it's inside, and
unless you live in an isolated and pristine locale, it's pretty much
unavoidable. Fortunately, for the inside your home, where studies have
shown the air is most polluted -- an average of 2-5 times more polluted
than outside! -- you will learn how you can dramatically reduce the amount
of toxins to much safer levels.
As for city versus country, though, neither is "safe." If you
live in a city, the air you breathe is subjected to toxins from industry,
construction and exhaust from cars, buses and planes. In the country,
the air gets polluted from dust, car, truck and tractor exhaust, pesticide
dusters, rock quarries and smoke from wood and crop fires.
|
Those of us living in the most polluted cities may have a year
or two shaved off our lives!
|
And all this pollution is affecting our health. One study published in
the February 2005 issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers
and Prevention found that pregnant women in New York exposed to high levels
of air pollution are more likely to have babies with genetic abnormalities
linked to cancer than pregnant women exposed to lower levels.
In fact, children born to women who were exposed to the highest level
of air pollutants (the air pollutants measured in the study were combustion-related
pollutants, which typically come from car exhaust) had about 50 percent
more genetic abnormalities than children whose mothers were exposed to
lower levels.
Said the senior author of the study, Dr. Frederica Perera, director of
the Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health, these pollutants "are very pervasive
in the urban environment, so we have no reason to think the results are
not relevant to other populations in urban areas."
Air Pollution's Effect on You
About 4 percent of deaths in the United States can be attributed to air
pollution, according to the Environmental Science Engineering Program
at the Harvard School of Public Health. And, alarmingly, in
the most polluted cities it has been estimated that lives are shortened
by an average of one to two years, according to research by the
American Cancer Society and Harvard University.
Generally speaking, air pollution affects everyone a little bit differently.
Certain groups, like children, the elderly and people with heart disease
or lung disease (air pollution primarily affect the body's respiratory
and circulatory systems), are particularly at risk.
|
Possible Health Impacts from Exposure to Polluted Air
-
Eye, throat and lung irritation
-
Burning eyes
-
Cough
-
Chest tightness
-
Difficulty breathing
-
Headaches
-
Nausea
-
Asthma attacks
-
Increased upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and
pneumonia
-
Chronic respiratory disease
-
Lung cancer
-
Heart disease
-
Respiratory problems
-
Exacerbated allergies
-
Adverse neurological, reproductive and developmental effects
-
Genetic abnormalities in newborns
|
What Can be Done?
Unfortunately, you cannot choose what outside air you breathe, short
of relocating to an area that's untouched by industry and other pollutants.
However, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "Perhaps
the most significant action an individual can take is to limit the use
of fireplaces and wood burning stoves ... Carpooling, recycling, maintaining
automobiles, and insulating homes can [also] make a big difference."
Indoor Air is Even MORE Polluted
Even if you can't control the air you breathe outside your home,
you can control the air inside. You may be surprised to learn that the
Environmental Protection Agency says indoor air can be anywhere from two
to five times as polluted as outdoor air -- and sometimes more than
100 times more polluted!
|
Indoor air can be two to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air,
so it is wise to make keeping your home's air clean a top priority.
|
Toxins in indoor air can stem from a number of sources, including:
Says Rob Watson, senior scientist and green building expert at the NRDC,
"Enemy number one of indoor air quality is moisture," which
can spur mold growth that's tough on the respiratory system. He recommends
leaving windows open when showering or cooking, but added that "a
more effective tactic for controlling moisture is using bathroom and laundry
room fans, which can be set to timers to run intermittently throughout
the day." The fans must be vented to the outdoors, however, and should
not simply re-circulate the air.
People spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, so having clean
air inside should be a top priority. That's why, according to leading
health organizations like the American Lung Association, with the rapidly
growing volume of air pollution in the home, having a high-quality air
purifier is as crucial as having clean drinking water.
|
 The
Pionair Air Treatment System utilizes "photocatalysis"
technology -- the top-recommended air purifying methodology (see
comparison chart by clicking below) -- to clean your indoor air,
a process that replicates nature's own method of purifying the air
outside.
Virtually all leading health organizations and health experts recommend
air purifying systems for the home, so if you are in the market
we urge you to consider the top-rated Pionair ... right
now you can take advantage of a special (but limited time!) offer!
Read
More & See An Animated Demo Now!
|
What to Look for in an Air Purifier
The challenge with most air filters or purifiers is that air must be
drawn to the unit, either through natural air flow, or through the use
of a fan. This method results in uneven treatment and can leave pockets
of polluted air, plus fans are noisy, subject to failure, and require
higher levels of electricity.
Unlike most air purifiers, the
top-rated PIONAIR™ Air Treatment System doesn't wait for pollutants
to contact a filter or plate. Instead, the PIONAIR generates air-purifying
technology that migrates through the area and neutralizes organic odors,
microbes and molds at their source. As a result, the PIONAIR produces
fresh clean air throughout your home or office uniformly, by addressing
the pollutant source -- without the use of fans, filters, or plates!
PIONAIR uses the most effective air purifying technology, called "photocatalysis,"
which is actually a replication of how outdoor air is naturally purified.
That is why, if you are considering an air purification system for your
home, we highly recommend you consider a Pionair
Air Treatment System ... while from an immediate health perspective
there is little you can do to avoid outdoor pollution, there's a
lot you can do about the more prevalent indoor air pollution, starting
with using a high-quality air purifier of some sort in your home!
Recommended Reading
Self-Assessment
to Determine if You May Have Biological Pollutants in Your Home
The
Top-Rated Air Treatment Systems for Your Indoor Health
Sources
Medical
News Today
FamilyDoctor.org
EnviroHealthAction
Natural
Resources Defense Council
Indoor
Air Quality News
|
