When pollutants are removed from the air, our health improves right away. That’s the latest from a team of scientists at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Cutting pollution makes a difference
The team looked at various scenarios where pollution levels went from high to low in a very short period of time. This included the 2004 smoking ban in Ireland, traffic restrictions in Atlanta on the run up to the 1996 Olympic Games and the closure of a steel mill in Utah.
Dramatic results
In Ireland, the smoking ban cut over all deaths by 13%, heart attacks by 26%, strokes by 32% and COPD related death by 38%. In Atlanta, there was a staggering 40% reduction in visits to clinics for children with asthma. And in Utah, the number of people hospitalized for pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis and asthma dropped by half.
It only took one week for change to start
According to the research team, the benefits could be seen almost immediately. Just one week after the air was cleaned up, people started to feel the benefits.
“We knew there were benefits from pollution control, but the magnitude and relatively short time duration to accomplish them were impressive,” said lead author of the report, Dean Schraufnagel, MD, ATSF.
If you’d like to read more on this, you can find the full report here.
Air quality matters
It is clear from this and other published reports, the quality of air you breathe matters. Air pollution affects all aspects of our health. Respiratory disease, heart disease, cancers, strokes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, pre-birth development. It can also lead to poor mental health, causing depression, anxiety and conditions such as ADHD.
Are you ready to make a change? If you’d like to learn more about improving air quality in your home, why not take a look at our range of air purifiers here. Find the one that’s right for you.
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