NAME : JAFFAR HUSSAIN

SUBMITTED BY : DR TEHSEEN JAVED

REG NO : ENV120192006

DEPARTMENT : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

SEMESTER :BS 4TH

SUBJECT : ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

TOPIC : FRESH AIR

DATE 24/ 06/2021

We're often told to "get out into the fresh air." It's supposed to be

especially good for our health. It's even been claimed that fresh air

protects us from cancer.

Fresh air is defined as cool, unpolluted air in natural surroundings. It

certainly doesn't exist everywhere. In China the air in some cities is so

polluted that bags of "fresh air" are taken there so people can take a

breath of it.

In enclosed rooms, air soon loses oxygen. When you sit at a desk, your

breathing is shallow and superficial. That results in fatigue and lack of

concentration. Exercising in the fresh air, in contrast, causes us to

breathe deeply. We take in more oxygen and expel stale air from our

lungs. That results in more energy and a better mood. And it even works

in bad weather! If you feel listless and worn out, get out in the fresh air

and greenery!

Korean doctors sent 43 elderly women on an hour-long walk in the

woods and19 through the town. Examinations before and afterwards

showed that the blood pressure of those who walked through the woods
was lowered considerably. The elasticity of their arteries had improved.

Those who walked in an urban environment. in contrast, showed no

differences. A study in Japan has also shown that walks through the

woods lowered blood pressure and heart rates and reduced stress

hormones. In addition, the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo found signs

that walking in the woods activated natural killer cells, a component of

the immune system that fights cancer.

Why is fresh air important in the home?

There are many reasons to improve ventilation in the home that concern

health, concentration, and exposure to chemical and allergens. Studies

have shown that indoor air quality can in fact be much worse than

outdoor air quality. Most Australians spend in excess of 90% of their

time indoors, and so poor ventilation can indeed have a significant

impact on your health and well-being.

Proper ventilation keeps the air fresh and healthy indoors.

Like the lungs, homes need to be able to breathe to make sure that fresh
air comes in and dirty air goes out. Air indoors can build up high levels
 of moisture, odors, gases, dust, and other air pollutants. To keep the air
safe indoors, fresh outdoor air is needed to dilute these indoor pollutants.
To provide good air quality, enough air needs to be brought in and
circulated so that it reaches all areas of the home. For almost all homes,
windows and structural elements contribute to bringing in fresh air.
Many homes have additional mechanical systems to add to the flow.
Some sources, such as stoves and bathrooms, need special venting that
can remove the pollution they produce. Ventilation above stoves needs
to carry the air outside to avoid redistributing pollutants from cooking
inside the home.

Ventilation helps reduce indoor air pollution, but it works best if paired
with keeping known sources of air pollution out of the building. For
example, the only way to reduce the effect of secondhand smoke indoors
is to not allow smoking indoors or near the entrances. Ventilation will
not solve that problem.

Outdoor air can also bring pollution indoors as well, so taking steps to
reduce outdoor air pollution is important, too.

How Fresh Air Comes into Your Home

Air comes into buildings and leaves by three different ways:
 Doors and windows, whenever they are opened.
 Joints, cracks and openings where parts of the building connect,
including floors and walls and around windows and pipes.
 Spot ventilation, including fans that pull air from the bathroom.
 Mechanical, whole house systems, to systems in larger buildings that
force air into and out of the building.
 How to Use Ventilation to Protect Health
 Use exhaust fans in bathrooms to remove moisture and gases from the
house.
 Fit your kitchen with an exhaust fan that moves the air to the outside.
Use the fan or open a window when cooking to remove fumes and
airborne particles.
 Make sure gas, propane, wood or other combustion appliances vent
completely to the outside. Do not use ventless stoves. Install a carbon
monoxide detector in multiple locations in your house.
 Vent clothes dryers to the outdoors, too. Clean out the vent regularly to
make sure the dust does not block air flow.
 If you paint or use hobby supplies or chemicals in your home, add extra
ventilation. Open the windows and use a portable window fan to pull the
air Test your home for radon, and if you have elevated levels, hire a
professional to add ventilation to remove it. Radon is the second leading
cause of lung cancer.
 If the air indoors remains too moist, look for sources of moisture that
need to be controlled. If that still does not solve the problem, if a
dehumidifier may help. If you use a dehumidifier, make certain you
clean it regularly. Check with an air systems specialist to see if your
system needs improvements.
 Never idle your car in an attached garage. The exhaust can move into
your home.

The Health Benefits of Fresh Air

The health benefits of fresh air are plentiful. The sun’s shining today and
with early morning sunrises and late evening sunsets, there’s no better
time than the summer to get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air. Every
cell in your body and therefore every function in your body relies upon a
constant, fresh stream of oxygen. If you stay indoors or in an air
conditioned environment for long periods of time, the same air can be
breathed in again and again, causing the air to become stuffy and stale.
Simply stepping outdoors and breathing in some fresh air can have a
huge amount of health benefits…
1. 20% of the oxygen you breathe in is used by your brain to function.
Increasing the amount of fresh air you have can provide greater clarity to
the brain, promoting optimal function whilst helping you to think, focus
and concentrate better.
2. Seratonin release is affected by the amount of oxygen you have in
your blood. Seratonin promotes a sense of happiness and well-being so
the more fresh air you have will help to significantly boost your mood.
This is often why you feel better, more relaxed and much more refreshed
after being outside!
3. Fresh air is good for your lungs. When sitting indoors, it’s common to
breathe shallowly, inhaling the air into the top of your lungs, known as
apical breathing. When outdoors, moving, walking or jogging
encourages increased diaphragmatic breathing. This means that you
breathe more deeply, drawing more air deep into the bottom of your
lungs. This not only brings more oxygen into your cells but helps the
lungs to expel more airborne toxins from the body. This therefore helps
you to cleanse from the inside.
4. Breathing in fresh air can help to reduce airborne illness and infection.
This is because bacteria and viruses have a reduced chance of survival in
fresh air. This is in comparison to warm, humid, indoor environments in
which they thrive.
5. Increased oxygen improves the function and efficiency of every cell
in your body improving the function of everything your body does. This
ranges from hormone production, digestion, tissue renewal, muscle
contraction etc…!
In Cornwall we’re lucky enough to have an abundance of natural,
unpolluted areas where the air is fresh and clean. Fresh air is free to us
all so step outside and prepare to breathe deep!

Tips for Indoor Fresh Air

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air inside the average

home is two to five times more polluted than the air outside, largely due
to toxic household cleaners. Given that we spend approximately 90
percent of our time inside, it’s important to eliminate or manage the
sources of indoor air pollution.
Some of those sources include new carpet; paint; mold and mildew
(particularly in ventilation systems); tobacco smoke; synthetic fragrance
from air fresheners and candles; copy machine chemicals; personal care
products, asbestos, pesticides, and pressed-wood products like
particleboard, plywood paneling, and fiber-board.
Exposure to airborne toxins can lead to serious health problems, including
organ defects in fetuses; asthma, attention deficit and hyperactivity,
autism, leukemia, and other cancers.

To keep your indoor air as clean as possible, follow these tips:

Circulate the air. Wherever possible, crack windows open every now and
then. If you install new carpeting or cabinets at home or in the office, open
windows and turn on fans until the smells dissipate. Make sure that
copying machines and other equipment are located in rooms that are
properly ventilated.
Consider natural products. Many chemically-sensitive consumers opt for
carpet made from wool or cotton rather than synthetic fibers; others
choose cabinets made from solid wood and finished with water-based
varnishes rather than those constructed from particleboard or fiberboard.
Avoid synthetic fragrances. Rather than use synthetic air fresheners to
mask an unpleasant odor, find the source of the odor, and clean it up. Then
open the windows for fresh air, or use flowers or essential oils to add a
more natural scent to your room. If necessary, install air filters and
purifiers and other air cleaning devices.
Ask smokers to smoke outside. It’s not unreasonable to ask visitors to
your home to take smoking breaks outside. Many offices have already
instituted a smoking policy that minimizes nonsmoker exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke; if yours hasn’t, broach the topic with your
office manager.
Speak up. If you or others at your office are experiencing health or
comfort problems that you suspect may be caused by indoor air pollution,
discuss the issue with your supervisor. Talk with your physician, log
medical issues, and report your problems to the company health or human
resources officer or union official so that they can make appropriate
changes. You can also contact the Centers for Disease Control to request
an inspection.
Buy plants. Depending on the species, one house plant can provide
effective cleaning for every 100 square feet of space. For example,
between 15 and 20 golden pothos and spider plants can refresh the air in
an average 1,800 square-foot home.
Hire the professionals. It’s best to hire professionals to clean the places
where indoor air pollutants commonly hide: HVAC systems, fireplaces,
and waterlogged carpets. Follow manufacturer recommendations for
regular maintenance too.