We’re getting more information from new studies about how air pollution can affect newborns.
Recent articles cite a joint project between the Penn State College of Medicine and the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Contaminants (MIREC) a Canada-based institution. The team looked at maternal exposure to a range of pollutants that can translate into health effects for infants.
What researchers found is that particulate matter of 2.5 microns in size or “PM 2.5” is linked to certain kinds of respiratory distress in newborns, as is nitrogen oxide.
What was already known from previous studies was that certain kinds of exposure can lead to longer-term illnesses like asthma.
What wasn’t known is that the pollution can have more immediate effects, the kind of impact that can keep an infant in the NICU after birth.
In terms of linking these conditions to treatment, professionals mentioned items like assisted ventilation and systemic antibiotics. Exposure to nitrogen oxide was particularly associated with systemic antibiotics.
Doctors also mentioned inflammatory markers that can help track the impact of the air pollution from mother to infant.
These are not the only chemicals that scientist are studying – for example, a South African study associates exposure to sulfur dioxide with smaller gestation size
However, as we look at the impact of PM 2.5 in particular, it illustrates more of a cautionary picture of how these contaminants can affect those living in an unclean area or environment.
Causes of PM 2.5
This kind of particulate matter can be caused by traffic, factory, pollution, or even wildfires or other kinds of combustion. The wood or fossil fuel combustion gives off these tiny micro-particles that can travel deep into the lungs and cause respiratory issues. That’s a concern as wildfires rage, traffic increases – and the kinds of systemic pollutants that we put up with is not getting any better.
Battling PM 2.5
In the outdoors, air quality is mainly supported by regulation and vigilance about polluting sources.
In an indoor residential or commercial environment, there are other methods available to improve air quality.
Air purifier machines take the air inside a room or space and cycle it through, cleansing it of certain contaminants and small particles.
Those units equipped with modern filters can remove contaminants down to a size of .3 microns, and some can work on even smaller types of particles.
Those who are worried about indoor air quality can also use small tools called air monitors to assess the environment inside of a home or other space – to see what the air is actually like prior to buying air purifier units. Gaining a better understanding of the air around you is important, to protect you and your family.
Buying an Air Purifier
If those units are necessary to help clean the indoor air, buyers have a lot of choices. There are whole home machines, and portable air purifiers as well. There are models rated for different square footage and air changes per hour. There are also other air purifiers working with alternative technologies, like a heating process to remove contaminants from the air.
For handling PM2.5 from wildfires or other sources, one option is an AirPura V600 or V614 unit. Other models include various Amaircare and Allerair models.
Let US Air Purifiers LLC™ help you to find the air purification models and tools that you need for your own personal projects.