“Green measures” to control Indoor Air pollution

Air is the most important and vital nutrient for plant and animal life. It is the gift of Mother Nature to our planet, so that we lead  a healthy life. In the absence of air, there would have been no life on this planet.  The Earth is surrounded by an envelope of air called Atmosphere that protects the life on Earth.

Air is the name given to the Atmosphere and  is a layer of several gases. The most important use of air is that animals use it for breathing and plants use it for photosynthesis in addition to breathing. Air is a mixture of several gases. Oxygen gas present in the air is used for breathing. About 1/5 th of air is oxygen, which is our life force.

All animals are designed to run on oxygen. Human beings can not live without oxygen.  Our body is made up of several millions of cells. When we breathe in air, oxygen is  absorbed by the lungs get mixed  in the blood stream and  is distributed to all the cells  of our body. In order to remain healthy, our cells should get enough oxygen. Therefore, a steady supply of fresh air is essential. Fresh air provides  a steady supply of oxygen which is needed by every tiny cell of our body.

We tend to stay indoor for most of the time. We end up breathing the same  air again and again. The percentage of oxygen in the indoor air goes down and we will be breathing stale air. Our body accumulates gaseous wastes, we become  weak and our body will not function efficiently.  If this situation continues we tend to acquire several diseases that are difficult to cure. Hence it is very necessary to prevent and control indoor air pollution.

Indoor Air pollution is a matter of great concern to mankind. We have failed to monitor the indoor air pollution. We have also  failed in developing suitable technology to monitor indoor air  quality. Indoor air quality  signifies the health and the well being of  humanity.  Our life has progressed with the advancement of technology. Quality of human life, wellness and well being  depends on  the  purity  of the air that we breathe.

Indoor air pollution is one of the top most problems of our environment. It  contributes to out door air pollution and increases green house gases. It is also responsible for  Global Warming and Climate Change in addition to creating health problems.  So, it is necessary that we monitor and breathe fresh indoor air. Not only the indoor air should be free from dust and mites but also we should adopt certain important  Green Measures  to control and prevent indoor air pollution. Following are certain simple measures to prevent Indoor air pollution.

• Keep the windows open to let fresh air into the house.
• If bad odour is troubling, boil scented herbs like neem, tulsi, scented flowers and keep them in a fancy bowl.
• Hang a packet of Zeolite, a natural mineral in rooms where bad odour is more. Zeolite is a natural mineral  that absorbs bad odour.
• Mop the floor  and keep it dry. Having a door mat at the entrance of the house will prevent dust entering into the house. It is essential to remove the dirt and dust from the door mat.
• Use an exhaust fan or open the window while cooking.
• Use fragrance free, naturally scented laundry products.
• Use mild cleaners which do not have any artificial  odour.
• Avoid using aerosol sprays, carpet cleaners,furniture polish, air freshners etc.

• Use a sliced lemon and baking soda to clean kitchen odour.
• Make home free from cigarette smoke.
• Buy electronic items that are ecofriendly. Do not use old ones as they consume more energy and  should  be replaced.
• CFL and LED  lighting fixtures should be used. They are expensive, but  they are energy efficient and durable.
• Repaint walls with with low VOC paints and use non-toxic natural cleaning agents.
• Rooms with AC should have no leakges, ,false ceilings, carpeted floors, energy efficient windows for  best cooling.
• Use wooden furniture.

All these steps taken are simple and can control or prevent indoor air pollution to a certain extent only. We have to  think of certain innovative methods to improve the indoor air quality in our homes.

Use of Bio filters to control Indoor Air Pollution:

Bio filtration is a pollution control technique using living materials to capture and biologically degrade and process pollutants.  Biofilters use microorganisms to remove indoor air pollution. Bio filters reduce air pollutants by the principle of Hydrophonics and Phytoremedation. Pollutants are absorbed by plants through the root system to improve indoor air quality.

How does it work?

Air is drawn through wet biomass. Contaminants and pollutants move from air to water and are broken down. Green plants improve the effectiveness and reduce the need for fresh air as contaminated air is purified. Thus,there is constant circulation of pure air in the room.

The benefits of Bio filters:

1.   Improved air quality  with no energy consumption.
2.   Safe technology and an aesthetic appeal.
3.   Airborne spores are not generated.
4.    No hazardous waste is generated in this system.
5.   Easy to install and is cost effective

In this process  naturally occurring moicrobes are utilised to absorb and digest pollutants from indoor air, converting them into carbon-di-oxide, mineral salts and water. Microbes used in bio-oxidation digest the pollutants in various steps.The pollutants pass through bacterial cell wall. The enzymes present in the bacteria transform the pollutant molecules by pulling them apart until they are converted into different compounds. For example, when phenolic  molecules have to be digested, Carbon & Oxygen combine to form CO2 gas and Hydrogen & Oxygen combine to form H2O.Also in this process not only oxygen combines to form oxides but also provide energy needed by the cells for the reaction.

Bio-oxidation method is nodoubt a good method to contain indoor air pollution. But lot of research has to be done on the technology of putting it into practice. If a proper technology is promoted with the help of microbes then air gets purified and the effects of global warming can also be reduced.

Construction of Green Homes: 

Green Homes  are houses designed keeping in mind the elements of nature & making full use of natural resources that do not pollute, or harm the environment.  The basic elements of Green Homes are solar water heating systems, use of glass panels to allow light during the day, rain water harvesting, waste minimisation,maximising energy use,water conservation & use of energy efficient equipments.

Building Green Homes will have the following  features:

• Buildings are built using hollow blocks and  naturally available materials from the environment.
• Light colours are used for exteriors of the structures to reflect sunlight  back into the atmosphere to prevent radiation of heat.
• Shade trees should be planted in the west and south direction of the building.
• Roof garden, wall garden and sloping roofs are constructed to reduce heat.
• Rain water is suitably harvested during rainy season and is utilised.
• Solar power panels, Bio-gas plants and Wind turbines are installed  to generate energy.
• Grey water treatment plants are set up to recycle waste water. This helps in  reducing water bill and to conserve water.
• Bio-degradable  waste generated by the residents are utilized to produce eco-friendly manure for kitchen/roof/wall gardens.
• Energy efficient lighting systems are made use of to reduce the cost and consumption of electricity.
• Water and power consumption of such buildings is minimised.
• Waste water generated is properly recycled and this eliminates water pollution.
• Maintenance of the building is less expensive and is easy.
• Life of the Green Building is longer.

  Go Green to control Air Pollution!

Go Green to save the Bio-diversity of our Planet!!!

Go Green to save Earth!!!