Big Brother's Blind in China: Air pollution blocking surveillance cameras

Photo: tiverylucky/freedigitalphotos.net

Air pollution in China has become a matter of national security, according to an article in the South China Morning Post.

Apparently the smog that blankets most of the country is so heavy that on some days that it actually blinds the country's huge network of security cameras.  The problem is so substantial that the government is actually concerned terrorists may choose to strike on a bad smog day.

Existing technology, such as infrared imaging can penetrate fog and smoke to a certain extent, but China's smog pollution is so dense with particles that it blocks light like a wall.

One engineer told the paper: "According to our experience, as the visibility drops below three metres, even the best camera cannot see beyond a dozen metres."

The National Natural Science Foundation of China has funded two teams, one civilian and one military, to study the issue. The experts have been ordered to come up with a solution (ironically for the cameras not the pollution) within four years.

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Air pollution is also a problem in North America, with the EPA naming bad air a serious public health risk. AllerAir air purifiers remove 99.97% of airborne particles, dust and the chemicals and odors that other air cleaners leave behind. Connect with us to learn more about our industrial HEPA and activated carbon filtration systems for the home and office:

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Serious air purifiers for a serious problem!

Generation Xers: Indifferent about climate change?

Some people don't believe in global warming
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos

This summer is proving to be full of record-breaking temperatures. All across North America, people are suffering from sweltering heat and humidity that can have devastating effects indoors. 

Studies have shown there are more toxic chemicals hovering in homes during heat waves such as these than during cooler periods.

Add to that the fact that environmental scientists have been talking about global climate change for years and we can only imagine what the quality of air is like in our homes.

Interesting new studies, however, have revealed some surprising facts. 

The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research has determined that Generation Xers (32 -52 years old) are, for the most part, indifferent and even doubtful about climate change. 

Between 2009 and 2011, the study, funded by the National Science Foundation, recorded a decline in interest on the issue. 

Of the 4000 people polled, only 16 percent were still interested in climate change in 2011, compared to 22 percent in 2009.

Upon further exploration, the study revealed that more educated Generation Xers also tended to be more concerned for the environment. It also indicated that adults with children were somewhat less concerned about the environment than those adults without children; a result that surprised researchers.   

Source: University of Michigan

Real environmental threats

Whether or not you believe in global climate change, there are some real indications that we live among many pollutants. Regardless of where we go or what we do, harmful particles and chemicals surround us.

During peak heat periods, smog not only coats the air outside, but also seeps into the home, especially when people are dependent on fans and open windows to keep rooms ventilated.

Every time we open doors or windows, even when we have air conditioning, outside air comes indoors.  This is why it is important to find ways to minimize indoor air pollution.

The benefits of an air purifier

AllerAir's 5000 Exec is part of
the 5000 series

AllerAir’s air purifiers are a great investment when trying to maintain a healthy home environment. 

The 5000 series is a practical, wheeled unit that can easily be moved from room to room. The unit uses activated carbon and HEPA filters to eliminate particles, chemicals and odors from the home.

Place it in the kitchen if you want to mitigate food odors. Keep it in your bedroom to help you to get a fresh night’s sleep.

You can even put the unit in the living room, where it can clear the air of cigarette smoke, as well as the harmful chemicals found in scented candles and air fresheners.

For all you Generation Xers out there…how many of you are concerned with climate change?

For those of you who aren’t convinced the world’s undergoing climate change: what are your reasons for your doubts?

We’d love to hear from you. Post your questions, comments and concerns and we’d be happy to respond.

Show your support for green living by becoming a follower of this blog.

For more information about AllerAir's general purpose air purifiers and specialized units, contact us.

A hot summer means more pollution

Warmer temperatures pose risks in terms of
pollution and associated health problems.

An unusually mild winter and hotter than normal summer may increase both air and water pollution and associated health effects, experts warn.

Pollution experts in North America are most concerned about the urban air pollution and smog caused by sunlight, traffic exhaust and polluted air from coal-fired plants.

Warmer temperatures also mean more wildfires and forest fires, which also affect the air quality, they warn.

Higher demand on air conditioning means more electricity use and more emissions as well.

Experts are also concerned about the risks posed by increased algae in lakes, which smells bad and affects water quality.

In terms of health effects, medical professionals are seeing the effects of pollution in their practices, including

• Cardio respiratory symptoms like chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Lung conditions
• Heart conditions
• Diarrhea
• Blood, skin, kidney and other diseases caused by prolonged exposure to environmental pollutants

 Source: Global News

Air purifiers to keep indoor air clean and healthy

Higher pollution levels outdoors can lead to poor indoor air quality as well, as pollutants are often allowed to build up in airtight homes and buildings.

AllerAir's general purpose air
purifiers for homes and buildings.

A serious air purifier with the right air filters can help remove those pollutants and provide cleaner, more breathable air.

AllerAir’s air purifiers for the home and office feature the most efficient and safest air cleaning technologies with activated carbon and HEPA filters that can remove not only particles and dust but also treat harmful chemicals, gases, odors and fumes.

Air purifiers like the 5000 Exec and the AirMedic Exec have been shown to reduce indoor air pollutants quickly and efficiently with long-lasting air filters.

For best results, keep an air purifier in the room or area where you spend most of your time, or in the bedroom.

Contact AllerAir for more information and options.
  

Smog increases risk for women’s strokes – how to protect yourself

Smog and fine particle air pollution can be
a risk to people's health and well-being.

Two recent studies have found that living in areas with high air pollution levels increases the risk of suffering a stroke for older women.

One California Department of Public Health study examined more than 100,000 women over a period of six years and found that older women residing in areas with higher levels of fine particle pollution were at a significantly higher risk of first-time strokes.

A Brown University study came to the same conclusion and calculated the risk increase at 34 percent.

A stroke can be deadly, since it happens when a blood vessel in the brain is either blocked or ruptured, which can deprive the brain of oxygen. A stroke can also leave people paralyzed or unable to speak/understand.

Health experts have some tips for women of a certain age how they may protect themselves – but these bits of advice also apply to all other generations and sexes:

• Don’t smoke
• Stay active
• Eat a healthy diet
• Control blood pressure and cholesterol
• Exercise or stay indoors when smog warnings are in place
• Get politically involved to promote urban development that encourages walking and biking

Some regions have implemented programs tailored to reducing the risks of strokes and heart attacks for women ages 40-64.

To get a similar program or other types of help, people are urged to write to their elected officials and get involved in community organizations.

Source: The Press-Enterprise

Keep outdoor pollution out with air purifiers

Living in a polluted area can expose people to fine particles and chemicals even inside their own home, since outdoor air pollutants often find a way to enter a building through windows and doors, cracks and openings.

AllerAir's air purifiers with activated
carbon and HEPA air filters.

Once inside, air pollutants can build up to dangerous levels.

AllerAir’s Air Purifiers for the Home and Office can help keep indoor air clean and healthy.

The air purifiers can remove the widest range of indoor air contaminants with a multi-stage filtration system that contains a deep-bed activated carbon filter for chemicals, gases and odors, a HEPA filter for particles and dust, easy-clean pre-filters for larger particles and optional UV germicidal filtration for biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and mold.

Energy-efficient and long-lasting, AllerAir’s air purifiers provide the most comprehensive protection from airborne pollutants, and they can be adjusted to tackle changing IAQ needs.

Check out AllerAir’s most popular models – the 5000 Exec, the 5000 Vocarb and the AirMedic series - or contact AllerAir for more information!
 

Smog, air pollution, wildfire smoke – how to protect yourself

Smog and air pollution can be harmful to human health.

Smog warnings and a thick haze lying over cities in the morning have become a familiar sight for many commuters.

But even though the smog “disappears” as the day warms up, the air pollutants stay behind.

Smog air pollution contains a wide range of contaminants that can affect human health, including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and particulates.

Vehicle emissions reacting with sunlight generate ozone, which has been linked with eye irritation, decreased lung function and poor visibility.

Health consequences linked to air pollution can vary significantly, from discomfort to premature death.

Health effects also depend on an individual’s age, sensitivities, state of health, exposure, weather and daily habits.

What you can do

• Keep children and sensitive people indoors during high smog episodes
• Keep windows and doors closed during pollution events to avoid harmful build-up of pollutants indoors, but open them for increased ventilation and fresh air as soon as it’s safe.
• Invest in a charcoal air filter for the air conditioning system or a portable activated carbon room air purifier (with carbon, HEPA and possibly UV filters)

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

Room air purifiers help reduce indoor air pollution

Air pollution outdoors becomes even more dangerous when it gets inside.

AllerAir's AirMedic Series:
Powerful room air purifiers.

Today’s airtight buildings and poor ventilation systems often lead to a buildup of harmful toxins inside, where they can be breathed in by some of the most susceptible groups of the population – infants, young children and the elderly.

A room air purifier with the right type of filters can help remove contaminants such as chemicals, gases, fumes, odors, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and molds and help keep the air clean.

AllerAir’s air purifiers for the home and office can remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants with their deep-bed activated carbon filters, HEPA and optional UV germicidal filtration.

Contact AllerAir for more information and options.
  

Air pollution linked to joint disease

Smog may be associated with an increased
risk of rheumatoid arthritis, study shows.

Breathing in smog and polluted air on a regular basis is not only bad for your lungs and heart – it can also increase your risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a new study suggests.

Sulfur dioxide, the main component of smog, was associated with modest increases in risk for the painful joint disease.

The study involved 2,092 rheumatoid arthritis patients and more than 93,000 people without the disease in the United States and Sweden.

The researchers determined their long-term exposure to common air pollutants, including gases like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particles like soot or dust, based on the participants’ home addresses.

Exposure to particulate air pollution like soot and dust did not show any higher risks for the disease, but exposure to sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in the 10 and 20 years before the onset of rheumatoid arthritis showed an increased risk.

People with lower socioeconomic status were also at a higher risk because they tend to live in houses where more air pollution leaks in from the outside, the researchers said.

These preliminary findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal and should be regarded as preliminary.

The causes of rheumatoid arthritis are still unknown, but researchers blame a combination of genes, early life events and environmental factors, among others. About 1.3 million Americans suffer from RA.

Source: USA Today

Environmental risk factors in the air

Air pollution can become a problem outdoors as well as indoors. Since we spend most of our time indoors, breathing clean, healthy air has become a priority for many people.

AllerAir has developed powerful portable air purifiers for the home and office that feature the most effective filter combination to remove chemicals, gases, odors, particles, dust and allergens: Activated carbon + HEPA + UV.

Contact us for more information.
 

More than 2000 unhealthy air alerts declared in the U.S. so far this year

Bad air outdoors can lead to poor
indoor air quality as well.

It seems no community is immune to bad air in 2011. From national parks to cozy sea-side suburbs more than 2,000 “code orange” air quality alerts occurred nationwide in just the first seven months of this year, mostly due to smog.

Code orange means it unsafe for children, older adults and people with breathing problems to go outside.

The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed government air pollution data and found that California and New Jersey lead the country in dangerous air days.

However, rural states such as Maine, Vermont and Kansas also had a number of dangerous air days this year, partly because of smog blown in from other states.

Surprisingly, nine national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains and Acadia National Park had dangerous air days this year because of smog blown in from other areas.

“The bottom line is that we have way too many days in way too many places when the air is unsafe for our kids,” said NRDC Clean Air Director John Walke. “The EPA needs to quit stalling on tougher smog standards promised years ago and protect our children, our elderly and all of us.”

Under standards set in 1997, the EPA considers air to be unhealthy if levels of ozone - the primary ingredient in smog - reach 84 parts per billion.

The Bush administration lowered the ozone standard to 75 parts per billion in 2008, but ignored unanimous recommendations of its science advisors that a truly protective standard needed to be set within 60-70 parts per billion.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has proposed adopting more protective standards within that range, and the agency is expected to announce its decision soon.

For detailed data on the NRDC analysis, see here.

Indoor air more polluted than outdoor air

AllerAir's air purifiers with carbon and
HEPA help clean the ambient air.

The EPA's own studies have also shown that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, so what does this latest analysis mean for our indoor air quality?

“We can reasonably draw the conclusion that this dangerous pollution is also making its way indoors,” says Stephanie Bristow, an Air Quality Expert with AllerAir.

“Our homes today are so tightly sealed, that this pollution is actually being trapped inside and if you aren’t filtering your air, unfortunately your lungs are acting as your air filter.”

Bristow recommends either an AllerAir room air purifier with HEPA and activated carbon or a whole home unit which can be ducted into an existing HVAC system.

“Today an air cleaner is just as vital as in your home as proper humidity levels and ventilation,” she says. “Ignoring your air quality is no longer an option.”

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Interested in learning more about improving your indoor air quality with a high efficiency air purifier?
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Breathe Smog? Report Says You’re More Likely to Die Early.

According to a recent report released by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, people who are exposed to high levels of smog, even for as little as a day, have an increased risk of premature death.

The committee leading the research concluded that even short-term exposure to ozone can exacerbate lung conditions, causing illness and hospitalization and can potentially lead to death.

The Bush administration has resisted stricter standards on smog, and maintains there is no evidence to support this report.

Ozone is the primary ingredient of smog and is created from nitrogen oxide and organic compounds released from car engines and other fossil-fuel-burning sources. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Experts point to the fact that these primary ingredients of smog have long been proven to be a health risk.

“These toxins are proven to increase the risk of respiratory problems, especially in children and the elderly,” said biochemical engineer and AllerAir IAQ Expert, Karen Hand. “This fact alone is reason enough for people to be proactive about protecting their health, and the health of those that they love.”

Hand says high-quality air purifiers are providing protection to many North American families who are concerned about the effect of poor indoor air quality.

For more information on the dangerous effects of smog, or for more information on high-quality air purifiers, contact one of AllerAir’s Indoor Air Quality Expert at 1.888.852.8247 or visit their www.allerair.com website.

Beijing Air Quality: What Was All the Fuss About?

When the 2008 Summer Olympics were set to open, air quality was all the buzz. Pictures of a hazy, smoggy Beijing were plastered across TV screens, the Internet, and newspapers across the globe. The first few sporting events, we all waited with bated breath to see if our athletes would collapse due to the inferior air quality. Now, with the Games coming to a close, athletes continue to break Olympic and world records with relative ease, and we wonder, what was all the air quality fuss really about?

But hold on, now. Let’s have a look at just some of the emittion-cutting measures that Beijing has taken to improve its air quality. Polluting industries have been closed, cleaner production methods initiated, half of Beijing’s 3.3 million cars removed, public transportation infrastructures built, man-made forests grown, battery-powered cars driven, solar panels installed, and among other environmentally-friendly measures, reports indicate a whopping $17 billion has been invested in cleaning up Beijing’s air.

Is all this work just for show? Perhaps. But one thing’s for sure, we’ve learned something important from the efforts made in Beijing: measures to improve air quality work!

In fact, the air quality in Beijing so far this month has been the best for any summer period over the last 10 years.

Who knows if Beijing will keep up its pledge to improve air quality once the international eye is no longer watching, but really, who are we to say? They’ve researched, indeed initiated, what we here in Canada and the United States are only still talking about.

We’ve had our chance to shake our finger at China, tssk-ing in all our glory, but I think as the Games come to a close, we should open up our own air quality discussion.

As a country, what measures are we going to take to improve our own air quality? As a government, what restrictions are we going to impose on our citizens and corporations?

As citizens, what steps can we take to protect ourselves, our families, until we stop tssk-ing, and start tasking?