Harm from house dust: impact on human health in humans and animals.
We often don’t think about how much danger the dust around us poses to our health. What is dust? Why is dust harmful to health? How to overcome dust in your home? Let’s find out the answers to these and other questions that interest us.
What is dust made of?
Approximately 20-25% of the composition of dust is of unknown origin. In our apartments with closed windows, about 50,000 particles of dust can settle on every square inch of your floor and any other surface in 14 days! Dusty air has the same harmful effect on the lungs as half a cigarette. One thimble of house dust contains 5,000,000 germs. During the day, a resident of a large city “passes” up to 6 billion dust particles through his lungs, which would fit in two tablespoons.
Dust may contain sulfur and nitrogen dioxide, and in certain situations toxic particles of carbon monoxide, lead, silicon, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are the most common indicators of environmental pollution. The presence of such substances in the air affects our immunity, leading to its decrease and irritation of the respiratory system.
Every day, approximately 50 milliliters of dust passes through our lungs, and this happens in your apartment! It is inside the premises that heaps of dust are formed, while reaching a high concentration. Over the course of a year, up to 30 kg of dust can be created in an average city room. 40% of this mass are industrial emissions (oil, coal, rubber dust from worn tires, car exhaust gases, fibers of various fabrics, concrete dust, etc.).
Outdoor air pollution leads to the fact that 40% of people die from coronary heart disease, another 40% from stroke, from obstructive pulmonary disease – 11%, from lung cancer – 6%, childhood acute infections of the lower respiratory tract account for 3 %. The main source of air pollution in populated areas are dust particles, nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, phenol, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, rubber particles from tires, exhaust gases, and so on.
Harm of dust to human health
Allergy
House dust is a whole collection of allergens. The main problem is that when we breathe, dust enters our body along with oxygen. Dust particles, once in the lungs, begin to destroy them from the inside, causing damage to our alveoli and destroying the first line of defense of the immune system. Now it is not difficult for various infections and allergens to penetrate inside our body and start a war there with our immune cells. An allergy to dust will make itself known by the following signs:
- you will start sneezing;
- a runny nose will appear;
- the eyes begin to water.
Respiratory diseases
But the harm of dust is not limited to allergies. Separately, it is worth noting the dust that is formed during the decomposition of artificial substances and materials: foam rubber, mineral wool (insulation), wallpaper with glue, synthetic upholstery furniture spruce, carpets and rugs, and so on. For example, these could be various lead compounds, and also, if you poison rats and cockroaches, pesticides. Dust mites also like to live among dust, which can cause allergies, and sometimes even asthma!
Everyday inhalation of large concentrations of dust will cause respiratory system diseases. If you do not take any countermeasures against the appearance of dust, then you may develop chronic diseases of the nasal cavity and pharynx, bronchitis, etc., and may also develop inflammatory diseases e reaction, headache, the degree of irritation of the mucous membrane of the visual system will increase.
Also, deterioration of the condition can be observed in people with diseases of the cardiovascular system – increased blood pressure, increased headaches, and increased frequency of angina attacks.
Infectious diseases
Dust in the room will settle on the food and drinks that you consume, thus it will contribute to the spread of infections. In production areas, dust is generally a risk factor, and in such industries there are premiums for lost health (coal industry, printing, etc. ee).
How to protect yourself from dust
It is certain that a clean apartment, constant ventilation, as well as normal temperature conditions allow you to avoid a large number of diseases. Please note that if you are a big fan of carpets, rugs, and various upholstered furniture, then you will have to vacuum all this pleasure once a week.
At the same time, you will take care not only of your health, but also the health of your loved ones, so you should regularly carry out wet cleaning.
Systematic ventilation of your home, especially bedrooms, will not only clear the air space of carbon dioxide, but will also regulate the temperature ry indoors, because extreme heat, as well as cold, are harmful to health.
Parents in the family often try to place large and soft carpets in the living room and the child’s room to make it pleasant for the child to walk or for beauty. I’m very sorry to upset you if you see this as home comfort, since it is under such carpets that a significant amount of dust will accumulate.
It is better to store all seasonal shoes and outerwear in the hallways, inside special closets for such clothes, where there are mezzanines. When spring comes, it is better to send winter fur coats, either with fur lining, to the dry cleaner, and only after that put them in clothing covers and hide them in the closet.
The bathroom and toilet area must be cleared of paint cans and other construction materials. Such materials not only emit toxic odors, but are also a place of dust concentration. If you still need to store something, then carefully pack it and store it in special separate mezzanines or rooms.
Thus, as you can see, in order to ensure health and longevity for yourself and your loved ones, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness and regularly do wet cleaning of the house, which requires a significant investment of effort and resources. To avoid this and keep your home clean and tidy, it makes sense to invite professional cleaners who will quickly and effectively get rid of dirt and dust, using modern technologies, equipment and detergents. Take care of your health and the health of your family members, get rid of dust quickly and effectively.