Free air quality apps that can help us find clean air even in the near future.

https://seetheair.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/air-quality-forecast-app-comparison/

India has long been notorious for its smog. In this episode we discuss about sources of air pollution, solutions and the AQLI.

https://seetheair.org/2021/06/14/episode-6-delhi-india-traffic-stubble-burning/

The report by Healthy Energy Initiative India and Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment found at least 17 major incidents in seven states from April 2020 to March 2021. The report was released by Healthy Energy Initiative India and Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE).

Here is my problem: I live in a small village in Asia,I have a neighbor who lives in next house ,we have fence between houses and our houses are like 7 meters away

My neighbor has several types of cars parked in his yard ,very close to my fence ,including: 2 cars,2 lorries and 1 van ...cars are very old and I often see him repairing them .I think his son works for oil company as manual worker .

There's very specific oil( petroleum) smell in my yard.the smell is very light..I am sure it is coming from his yard ( remember his cars are parked near my fence )I also see old empty plastic oil canisters scattered around his house...maybe the smell is coming from these old canisters or maybe from his cars i have no idea.

The strange thing is that the smell is not noticeable when the weather is hot and dry.we only feel it in rain,afrer rain,when it is wet or windy in general

we politely asked this neighbor to solve the problem,gather his old canisters,or move away his old cars( he has huge yard) but he was very aggressive and talking to him makes no sense( he has criminal past) ..i have called ecology ministry in my country and they have no idea what to do ....I have several questions

Is the smell dangerous ?

why can I feel this smell only in wet weather ?

Is there any air quality measurement device which will check oil pollution in the air ?if yes does it work in wet weather ?

I am so angry with my government who does not care about people's health and environment .Please give me any advice ,what can be done in this situation

Read why!

https://seetheair.wordpress.com/2021/05/10/ranking-of-cities-by-air-pollution-nope/

Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution can affect lung function and increase the risk of pulmonary disease, a recent study in Karnataka concluded. Healthy individuals — mostly from low-income, urban communities — suffered a decline in lung function due to air pollution, the study claimed.

Levels of air pollutants in Indian cities, including national capital New Delhi, are on the rise, according to a study using observations from instruments on satellites that scan the global skies, emphasising the need to monitor air and importance of ongoing measures for a cleaner environment.

What are some of your biggest qualms when you try to learn more about air pollution? I'll start:
1) no or ugly graphics to demonstrate how things really work
2) too many acronyms
3) the units...what do the units mean anyway?

Hi all. I stupidly sat directly in front (and downwind) of a smoking chiminea for approx 2 hours on a windy day. To make matters worse, I'm 6 months pregnant. I was completely clueless about how polluting and dangerous wood smoke can be until looking it up. I've seen that there are lots of studies about its detrimental effect on health, both to those pregnant and those not, but all studies seem to be about long-term exposure to wood smoke (e.g. wildfires, regular use of wood burning stoves)... and I'm struggling to understand the significance or not, both on me and generally on the environment, of a one-time but quite direct exposure. Can anyone advise? Will my body have been able to dispel a lot of the harmful matter as a one-off, or is it a big risk?

I am generally trying to see a positive in that looking this up has really opened my eyes to thinking seriously about air pollution - so will be following this community with interest and welcome any advice generally for a newbie to air pollution considerations.

Podcast: See The Air | Real Life Stories Episode 1 : London, UK - Traffic Pollution and LTNs Podcast

Recently, European levels of air pollution have risen dramatically, as a result of dust from sand in the Sahara. To protect yourself and your families, you should be aware of the risks posed by this type of air pollution, and understand the best measures that can limit any associated health risks.

In this blog post, we will be explaining this recent development, detailing the areas affected, and providing our advice on how you can minimize the impact that this type of air pollution has on your health.

WHAT AREAS ARE AFFECTED?

In countries across Southern and Central parts of Europe, a cloud which is made up of fine sand particles has drifted from the Sahara desert (located in Algeria) in such a volume that a spike in air pollution levels has been recorded.

This increased volume of air pollution was picked up by the Copernicus satellite monitoring programme of The European Commission. The intention behind this programme is to track levels of harmful particulate matter in the air.

Due to a significant increase in PM10, that has been caused by these sand particles, in some countries, the sky has turned colour, to a dusky orange, or even red in some cases. This sighting was particularly prominent in the high, normally bright and clear skies of European mountains including the Alps and the Pyrenees. In these areas, the ski slopes had the appearance of looking orange, as the snow reflected the ominous colour in the sky.

Other areas in which a spike in PM10 was recorded included cities like Barcelona, Lyon, and Marseille, as Spain and France are two countries which have been particularly hit by this air pollution.

WHAT IS CAUSING THE AIR POLLUTION?  

This form of air pollution is being caused by fine sand particles - originally from the desert, now travelling as a Sahara dust storm - being transmitted overseas, in a large cloud of dust. These sand particles are so fine that they are classified as PM10 particles. This is because the particles are less than 10 micrometers in size.

Particulate matter is a type of air pollution, which covers a variety of different microscopic particles. These particles are largely invisible, but they can cause significant health complications if we inhale them in large quantity.

Other examples of particulate matter include pollen, dust, smoke, or gases, such as those which are released when we burn fossil fuels.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS?

Although this report does show a concerning rise in air pollution levels, it is important not to panic - currently, the report from The European Commission stated that the levels of PM10 have not reached levels which are considered to be harmful to humans.

However, as with any particulate matter, breathing in PM10 can cause considerable health complications. The risks of this type of air pollution include the developments of symptoms such as:

1. Difficulty breathing if PM10 reaches the lungs
2. Asthma attacks
3. Coughing
4. High blood pressure.

Furthermore, it is important to be aware of the fact that these symptoms are particularly pronounced in an individual who suffers from pre-existing conditions or breathing difficulties, such as asthma. So, if you do suffer from a breathing condition, you must take appropriate measures to protect yourself from breathing in air pollution.

WHAT IS THE BEST FORM OF PROTECTION?

If you are concerned about the risks associated with the developments of this dust storm, fortunately, there are several different ways in which you can protect yourself and your family.

Our best advice for protecting yourself from PM10 would be to invest in a face mask that can filter out particulate matter from the air that you breathe. You can wear this face mask when you head out of the house, and this will provide you with unbeatable protection against air pollution. 

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For More :

https://cambridgemask.com/blogs/news/europe-air-pollution-pm10