Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to serious health problems. Moreover, smog and other pollutants such as ground-level ozone have a tremendous impact on the atmosphere, plants, and animals. This is why it’s important to learn how to measure air pollution and use available tools to limit one’s exposure to harmful substances.
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Why is air pollution dangerous?
There are many reasons why air pollution is dangerous. It has a negative impact on the atmosphere, destroys the ozone layer, hinders plant growth and contributes to global warming. However, as human beings we’re usually most concerned about the impact of air pollution on our health and well-being.
Unfortunately, it turns out that long-term exposure to harmful substances such as smog, carbon dioxide, PM 2.5, PM 10, PM 1, SO2, and NO2 can lead to serious health conditions including:
- asthma,
- respiratory and circulatory problems,
- heart attacks,
- problems with concentration,
- low weight of newborns,
- nausea,
- strokes,
- infertility,
- allergies,
- cancer,
- or even premature death.
These are only a few of the most dangerous side effects of living in a polluted area. Is there anything we can do make informed decisions and monitor air quality?
3 ways to measure air pollution
The market abounds in solutions that make it possible to measure air pollution. The most popular tools and devices include:
- sensors – these are small devices that collect comprehensive data on the concentration of key gas pollutants such as NO2, O3, SO2, and CO. Sensors offered by Airly measure air pollution with the use of the laser and electrochemical method. Thanks to two cells installed in the gas module, devices are able to take readings and emit special diode signals informing about the air quality.
- air pollution map – this solution is available for free. Moreover, you don’t need to have any knowledge to use an air pollution map. Once you enter the website, you’ll see a map of your region or country (provided that you have location settings on). The map will be filled with green, orange, or red spots. As you may guess, the green colour indicates good air quality, orange means that the pollution level isn’t the best, but it can be acceptable, whereas red denotes that it’s better to stay home and avoid outdoor activities like walking. It’s worth checking the air pollution map on a regular basis to limit your exposure to harmful substances whenever possible, or bring a special smog mask with you when you need to do out on days when your city is marked in red.
- mobile application – this is a very convenient option also available for free. You can download the mobile app on your phone and measure air quality whenever you have time to do it. The app works similarly to the map mentioned above. It’s very intuitive and provides vital information about PM 2.5, PM 10 parameters, temperature, humidity, and many other important parameters that have an impact on our well-being.
The takeaway
Learning how to measure air quality at home will help you make better decisions and limit your exposure to harmful substances. It’s important to mention that Airly offers a number of quality tools such as mobile applications and maps that are available for free.
Are you wondering where smog comes from and what it is? Check out our blog!