Happy Healthy Lung Month!
History of Healthy Lung Month
Breathe in…..breathe out….feels good right? This month, we celebrate the essentiality of our lungs and this process (gas exchange) that we often don’t think about until we are having trouble doing so. Lung health has been a major concern throughout human history. From mummies (1500-1080 BC) being diagnosed with tuberculosis to the COVID-19 pandemic leaving many with lasting lung damage, lung diseases have been able to find us for centuries.
Currently, Tennessee has over 550,000 residents living with asthma, 11.6% of the state suffering from chronic bronchitis or COPD (the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide), and a significantly higher average than the nation (54.6%) for new cases of lung cancer at 70% per 100,000. But amongst the leading causes of lung diseases (tobacco smoke, radon exposure, and air pollution), more and more research is establishing that air pollution is a threat to every stage of human life.
Air Pollution
Causes of air pollution
The main culprits of air pollution have been traced back to transportation, energy, industry, and waste. Such causes are sourced from motor vehicles, airplanes, power plants, gas-powered machinery, factories, wood burning, trash landfills, wildfires, and livestock agriculture.
What exactly are air pollutants?
A mixture of tiny bits of liquids and solids deposited into the air that we unknowingly breathe are known as particle pollutants or particulate matter (PM). Such particles range in size from coarse materials (classified as PM₁₀) such as dust, pollen, and smoke to ultra-fine materials (PM₂.₅ to PM₀.₁) that are combustion by-products of toxic compounds, salts, and metals. Ground ozone (smog/smoke fog) is also a major particle pollutant that we can see more visibly as a community-wide thick air pollution near the ground. Our lungs can defend themselves from coarse particles entering further into our air sacs, but fine to ultra-fine particles can bypass this defense and cause further damage leading to the many lung diseases mentioned previously. Unfortunately, once particulate matter (PM₂.₅ to PM₀.₁) enters our lungs, there is no way to remove or breathe out these pollutants physically and therefore remain in our lungs forever.
Environmental Injustice
Historically, Indigenous, low-income, and communities of color have been systematically displaced in communities that endure high levels of environmental risk for water, land, and air pollution. Such communities may reside near factories and power plants and have little accessibility to natural resources and green spaces. As for air pollution, these communities along with children, the elderly, and residents with asthma, cardiovascular disease, obesity, pregnancy, and lung disease make up 494,000 at-risk community members residing in Knoxville, TN.
Knox County’s Air Pollution
As of 2022, Knox County passed the national air quality standards for ground ozone pollution with an A rating but failed its annual particle pollution rating. With a score of 9.4 for fine particles (PM₂.₅) like metals, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, salts, and other toxic compounds still polluting the air, more work must be done in Knox County to bring this concentration down and meet the national passing score of 9 or below.
How to Take Environmental Action for Our Lungs
Transportation
Major driving alternatives include finding more time to bike, walk, and use public transit. The fewer cars on the road, the fewer gas and diesel emissions will be deposited into the air. Also, whenever possible, opt for an electric or hydrogen-powered vehicle.
Tree Plantings and Moss Production (air filtration)
Trees are considered the lungs of the earth, and having more of them around will help to capture more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Try to find time to volunteer with your local nursery or environmental organizations like Trees Knoxville to learn more about the techniques, species, and benefits of planting more trees in your community! You can also advocate to your local government officials about producing and implementing more moss around heavily polluted areas, as moss is a known air filter and health indicator.
Recycling
Recycling helps divert useful materials from landfills and incinerators and conserves energy that could cause greenhouse gas emissions when raw materials are used to make new products. More recycling equals fewer fossil fuels burned and cleaner air to look forward to!
Eat sustainably
When we eat locally we’re helping to prevent unnecessary transportation and energy usage from international food distribution. Choosing organic produce over conventional ones isn’t completely emission-free, but the number of pollutants produced is lower due to less nitrogen input into our soils, better-aerated soils that can uptake methane emissions, and better soil conservation practices like crop rotation and no-tilling that helps to preserve the nutrients in our soils. Eating less meat during the week also helps decrease the amount of greenhouse gases like methane being emitted into the air as livestock produces great amounts of such gases.
Home Changes
We’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t prevent such air pollutants from entering and exiting our homes. Here’s a list of a few household upgrades we can make to ensure cleaner air for our homes and the environment:
Air purifiers
Naturally air-purifying plants like Aloe Vera, Snake Plant, Philodendron Heartleaf, Spider Plant, Peace Lily, and so many more have been found to help capture formaldehyde (a throat, nose, and mouth irritant), benzene (harmful to bone marrow and red blood cells), and trichloroethylene (causes dizziness, confusion, and weakness). Check out The Spruce for pet-safe alternatives!
Indoor purifiers with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter help to reduce indoor fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) by as much as 50%, especially when residents are advised to stay indoors when the outside air quality is unhealthy.
Appliances
Utilize electric lawnmowers/leaf blowers instead of gas-powered ones.
Try to use dishwashers and laundry machines at night and only when full. This preserves energy as the energy grid is in less demand than in the daytime.
Vacuums can cause more damage than we think. If they’re not sealed properly or have a proper filtration system, those small and fine air pollutants we’re trying to avoid outdoors can escape and be released indoors when vacuuming. Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, and properly sealing it will help to catch the tiniest particles that may try to escape in your next cleaning.
Fireplaces can emit harmful gases like nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, and carbon monoxide, so make sure to (preferably) have it installed by a certified professional, keep it maintained, and if possible, use wood waste or pellets made of compacted sawdust as they produce heat more than wood and are less polluting.
Test for Radon (2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking)
If your house is built on highly permeable soil with an improperly sealed foundation, more than 10% of indoor air can come from the ground, which can include the odorless, radioactive, and invisible gas radon that naturally leaks upwards from the soil.
Such small changes can become great habits that can aid in a better future to breathe in. Happy Healthy Lung Month from Keep Knoxville Beautiful!