mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
How to protect yourself
Unfourtanetly, we can’t entirely avoid air pollution. The good news, however, is that there are measures we can take to minimize our exposure and lower the risk of air pollutants becoming a severe threat to our health.
Experts Masri and Jennifer Vanos, Ph.D., a scientist at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and associate professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University shared with Healthline some of the measures you can take to protect yourself:
- Wear a face mask outdoors when pollution is high. Make sure it sits tightly against the face; facial hair will prevent effective sealing.
- Don’t exercise outdoors if pollution is bad, and always try to avoid exercising alongside major roads.
- Use an air purifier to reduce pollution in the home (ensure it is suitable for the room size). Place somewhere you spend a lot of time, such as the bedroom, and ensure windows are closed.
- Be aware that events with lots of fireworks (such as the Fourth of July in the U.S.) can increase air pollution.
- Use tape around older windows to seal gaps and prevent fine PM from seeping through.
- If you’re in high pollution areas, change your clothes after returning home.
- When using central air conditioning, switch the setting to recirculate air.
- If possible, live away from industrial areas and major roads.