Air pollution is a constant challenge t many cities, including Singapore, which has suffered from the haze threats i recent years. Find out how common air pollutants affect our health and what we can do to get back our clean air.

Growing up and living in a city filled with high rise buildings and where traffic congestion is common, clean air has ironically become a luxury to city dwellers. This is because the air that we breathe in, though seemingly clean, actually contains numerous for our poor health – constant fatigue, falling sick easily, just to name a few.

COMMON AIR POLLUTANTS

Particulate Matter: Known for its initials PM, it refers to a group of very small solid or liquid particles in the air. These particles include allergens, organic chemicals or dust particles, and they can come from various sources, such as cigarettes or vehicles. Particulate matter will only turn visible (causing the air to turn blurry or even yellow) when the PM level raises to a certain level. when this occurs, particulate matter may lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Nitrogen Dioxide: A high reactive pollutant that usually originates from the  vehicles or factories, nitrogen dioxide can cause airway inflammation and other negative respiratory effects,

Ozone: A useful gas when it is high up in the atmosphere, where it forms a protective layers against harmful ultraviolet rays, ozone become “persona non grata” on the ground. Long exposure to ozone can cause eye irritation, coughing, and dryness in the nose and throat.

Carbon monoxide: A colourless gas produced from incomplete burning of fuels, carbon monoxide can cause poisoning by over-inhalation. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness and headaches. Moreover, carbon dioxide can also cause coronary disease.

Sulphur Dioxide: Known for its pungent smell, sulphur dioxide mainly comes from burning of fossil fuels and natural processes, such as decomposition and volcanic eruptions. Sulphur dioxide can cause shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.

GENERATING CLEANER AIR THROUGH AIR PURIFIER

There are many ways to deal with air pollutants, such as staying indoors and having a healthy, balanced diet. One of the more effective solution, is to invest in an air purifier.

As its name suggests, air purifier cleans the air by drawing in untreated air, which will then go through a series of filters, some of which combined with ionisers in order to produce cleaner, healthier air. Negative ions are believed to produce cleaner, healthier air. Negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that help to reduce stress, lead to higher alertness and increase day time energy level. Moreover, a research conducted by Columbia University also showed that negative ion generators are able to relieve depression as much as normal antidepressants.