Home Environment and Indoor Air Health Care Guide

Beware of Home Pollution

We spend most of our lives at home, and home pollution has a significant impact on our health. We should be mindful of hidden sources of pollution in our homes.

Bedding. During a night's sleep, chemicals such as uric acid, hippuric acid, and urea excreted through the respiratory tract and sweat glands are absorbed by bedding. Over time, the harmful substances absorbed by bedding can negatively affect health. Therefore, bedding should be washed and aired frequently.

Chopsticks. According to relevant tests, a pair of unclean chopsticks can carry a large number of bacteria and viruses. Using such chopsticks can easily lead to related diseases such as hepatitis, dysentery, typhoid fever, and acute gastroenteritis. Therefore, they must be thoroughly washed before use.

Dishcloths. The longer a dishcloth is used, the more bacteria it contains, with Salmonella and E. coli being the most prevalent. Dishcloths should be changed or disinfected frequently.

Carpets. Carpets can breed rapidly in a room, feeding on skin flakes and causing various diseases. Children, who often play on carpets, are more susceptible to infection. Therefore, carpets should be washed and disinfected frequently and regularly sun-dried.

Cooking fumes. Cooking fumes contain large amounts of harmful substances such as acrolein, which, when dispersed in the kitchen, can cause respiratory irritation and, in severe cases, cancer. We should ensure timely ventilation of cooking fumes.

Washing machines. Clothing can transmit various diseases, such as fungal skin diseases, typhoid fever, dysentery, and trichomoniasis. Some of the pathogens of these diseases are difficult to eliminate through sunlight or bleach. Therefore, when using a washing machine, multiple people should not wash their clothes together, especially the clothes of healthy individuals and sick individuals, as well as underwear and outerwear; these should be washed separately to avoid cross-infection.

Please disinfect indoor air.

Modern people spend more than 70% of their time indoors. The quality of the indoor environment is closely related to our health. We should pay attention to air disinfection, otherwise we will become victims of indoor pollution.

The main sources of indoor air pollution are: First, the human body itself. Living beings constantly exhale carbon dioxide, releasing various bacteria and odors. Studies show that the human lungs can expel 25 kinds of toxic substances, and exhaled air contains as many as 16 kinds of volatile toxins. Second, heating, cooking, smoking, and other household chores are also significant sources of indoor air pollution. Third, chemical solvents used in household chores, as well as chemicals used for indoor disinfection, pest control, and rodent control, all contribute to varying degrees of indoor air pollution. Fourth, the modernization of building materials and indoor equipment materials has led to an increasing use of materials containing formaldehyde, radon, and asbestos.

Indoor air pollution primarily harms the respiratory tract, causing or exacerbating respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, emphysema, allergic pneumonia, and asthma. Statistics show that smokers are on average 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. Domestic research also confirms that using coal for cooking and heating indoors can produce carcinogens similar to those found in tobacco. The cardiovascular system is also a victim of indoor air pollution. Animal experiments have confirmed that the development of atherosclerosis is related to carbon monoxide exposure. High levels of formaldehyde in indoor air can irritate the eyes and skin; long-term exposure can cause general discomfort, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even nasal cancer. The more severe the indoor air pollution, the fewer negative ions are present, leading to insomnia, headaches, discomfort, and high blood pressure.

To reduce the harm of air pollution to the human body, we should pay attention to indoor air disinfection and take various measures to reduce indoor air pollution.