Myths About Pollution

Environment and pollution-related topics get modified with time and we receive a new set of data/analysis. When I read papers or articles on the subject I always learn new things, and with time the theory gets modified or sometimes changes giving us a completely new perspective. But, certain things are not true so separating the myths and the facts-

1) Indoor air quality is better than outdoor-  Unfortunately No!! We spend almost 12 hours per day indoor and according to the epa.gov indoor air can be as bad as outdoor air and sometimes even worse. The major indoor air pollutants are- Radon, Molds, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Carbon monoxide, and dust particles.  

The main sources and of these pollutants- 

a) Radon- Result from the soil floor due to the presence of uranium. It can also release from the buildings granites. 

b) Molds- Growing in the presence of humidity. Most common in Public offices and schools. 

c) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)- These are the chemical gases emitted from processes or products like- Disinfectants,  Air fresheners, Dehumidifiers, Paints Varnishes, Flooring, and even furnishers. 

d) Carbon Monoxide- These arise from generators, vehicles, and nearby industry. 

e) Dust- These are the result of smoking,  construction nearby, Fireplaces, vacuuming, and other activities.

If you want to keep track of the pollution level at home. IoT based monitoring can give you real-time data and can alarm you when the threshold value is reached. 

2) Poor air quality occurs in the winter season only- Not true!! We face poor air quality throughout the year. And if you are living in cities like- Delhi, Kanpur, Faridabad, etc. you might not breathe good air even a single day in the whole year.

So, why winter is troublesome the reasons are because of the phenomenon like- winter inversion and in some areas 'valley' effect. During winters our planetary boundary layer is thinner as the cooler air near the earth's surface is dense. This cooler air is trapped under warm air forms a kind of lid. This phenomenon is called as winter inversion. Due to this phenomenon air pollutants trapped in this cold region and cannot escape to a larger region. 

3) Surgical mask can protect us from air pollution- Definitely no!! Surgical masks have a pore size of 5-10 micrometers whereas the pollutants have pore size 2.5 micrometers or less. According to the study, these surgical masks allow approximately 68% of pollutants to leak inside. Masks like N95, N99, or anti-pollution mask can prevent approximately 95% of pollutants. 

4) Electric vehicles do not pollute- Not True!! the actual pollution is related to the main source of energy. If the electric vehicles are charged using a thermal power plant that burns fossil fuels also contributes to pollution in the atmosphere. If these are charged using renewable energy sources then we definitely minimizing the pollution. Therefore the overall impact of electric vehicles on the environment is less. 

5) Papers bags are better than plastic bags- Since the awareness of plastic waste threat, we are now switching to paper bags. But, switching to paper bags which seems a better and more natural option to us is a myth. Compared to plastic paper production emit more greenhouse gases. Paper production requires harmful chemicals and uses three times more water than plastic. The recycle option of paper are not efficient, this process requires more energy and become trash after their lifecycle. 

6) Plastic takes 1000 years to decompose- many organizations claim that plastic products take approximately 400-1000 years to decompose. But recent studies on microplastic suggests that plastic does not decompose but rather breaks down into tiny and very tiny particles. So the plastic we use today will eventually become part of our ecosystem and bodies.

7) Our contribution hardly matters- Let's think why we are facing this issue in the first place. The demand for vehicles, lifestyles, and the products we are using now are somewhere impacting the environment. We all know the situation now but still, we hardly give a thought over the matter. We are giving preferences to the growth in better products for lifestyle and less towards the environment. Even a small contribution towards this direction will have a huge impact. And, yeah you are not alone many people out there doing their parts to save our nature and home.