Understanding the effect of particulate matter on our health and providing solutions to protect people inside our buildings.
Two striking facts perfectly illustrate why we need to place air quality at the top of the environmental and human health agenda. First, the quality of the air we breathe has a significant impact on our health and wellbeing; globally, air pollution is the leading environmental cause of shortened life, contributing to the equivalent of 5% of all deaths worldwide. Second, each of us inhales more than 25 million particles with every breath we take; the more contaminants we ingest, the greater the chance of sickness and ill-health. That’s why we have launched the ‘People Matter 1st’ campaign to highlight the dangers (and solutions) relating to poor air quality within our buildings, focusing on some of the smallest and
most harmful particulates – PM1.
The particles with the greatest capacity for reaching the outermost areas of our respiratory system are very small, approximately 0.01–1 μm in size – PM1. The ability of different particles to form deposits (the degree to which they can become trapped in the body) depends on their size and whether they can pass through the walls of our airways, for example.
YOUR LUNGS AND CLEAN AIR
The function of the lungs depends on clean air even in the outermost of the seven million air sacs (alveoli) where the gas exchange with the capillaries takes place. The blood flows through the capillaries and gives off the carbon dioxide (CO2) that has formed during the metabolic process. At the same time, it takes in oxygen (O2) via the alveoli. The oxygen is transported from the alveoli to the muscles and other organs. The carbon dioxide and other impurities leave our bodies when we breathe out. Nanoparticles, which are no larger than a virus, can become deposited (trapped) in the cell membranes (walls) of the alveoli. These have a total surface area of around 70 m² and are highly sensitive to particles and harmful substances. If these substances remain in the respiratory system, they can contribute to the development of emphysema, edema, and other serious illnesses, as well as premature deaths.
Ireland
