What You can Do to Prevent Toxic Air Pollution From Affecting Your Health and Protect Your Immune System
Combustion particles -think exhaust, smoke particles, anything that gets set on fire- increases risk of chronic disease! No wonder why people feel sick after sucking in diesel fuel and living near wildfires that plagued many of us this 2020.
Think worse outcomes for heart disease, asthma, migraines, and even more susceptibility to the damage of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Dr. Erika Maria Moseson is a "lung and ICU doctor" and is the founder of Air Health Our Health, an educational resource regarding the intersection between breathing healthy air and the wellbeing and wealth of our communities.
She hosts the Air Health Our Health podcast as well, interviewing experts on everything from tobacco and vaping to diesel exhaust and policy options to improve public health.
She attended medical school at Cornell University, trained at UCSF for internal medicine and completed her fellowship at Oregon Health and Sciences University.
She is passionate about physician advocacy, and is one of the American Lung Association's Health Professionals for Clean Air and Climate Action.
She also currently serves as the President of Oregon Thoracic Society and practices full time pulmonary and critical care medicine while mothering three amazing young children.
She is a wealth of knowledge - an expert in the intersection of clean air, environment, and health.
This is super important to discuss right now in the age of COVID-19, as air health can hurt or help us when it comes to contracting a lung infection as well as impacting our recovery.
Check out her podcast when she interviews Professor Chris Migliaccio of the University of Montana who studied the aftermath of wildfires on a community in Seeley Lakes, Montana.
https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/episodes/What-Lingers-when-Smoke-Clears--Longterm-effects-of-wildfire-smoke-with-Prof-Migliaccio-eme7ns/a-a2ata11
On this podcast episode below, she tells you the reason electric/hybrid cars and renewable energy can only further support our health and wealth.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ookxQhPBB9hS6CNSXkx0f?si=i3FGYaiPT8qZ5hYYBcS6qA
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2mW3RP832eNXf37osTC74i?si=GTQGZPyiQd-VjYErUaqTGw
She advises to consider the less busy streets with less car exhaust when spending time outdoors and walking to school. It makes a huge difference just walking a few feet away from cars on the road!
What air filtration system to consider and what air filters to stay away from?
Check out one of her recommended resources on her website www.airhealthourhealth.org:
California Air Resources Board and the Air Purifiers they Recommend
Watch out for ozone generating air filters as not all are regulated
How wildfires are wreaking havoc on individuals’ health and how to support the Forest Budget to fund preventive efforts --think controlled burns to prevent the big wildfires - but they need funding!!
Check out her episode on indoor air quality when smoke is outside from wildfires!!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/37U6F6NCz64tJecUnVsZjI?si=HsH2Hg_3TfaKugTdeCkfyg
Check out Air Pollution in Your Area
Consider staying inside, turning on your air purifier system, or circulating inside air only if air pollution is high. The Air Quality Index isn’t exact but so far it’s the best thing we have at AirNow.Gov.
PurpleAir contains sensors that can give you possibly more accurate information of the air quality in your area (as you buy the sensor yourself). But they also have a map on their website to follow at https://www2.purpleair.com/.
You can add AirNow.Gov and PurpleAir to your morning news updates, just like you would check out the weather or the morning traffic!
Lawn Maintenance and Health
Consider electric mowers, weed eaters, and leaf blowers! Dr. Moseson’s husband uses it and works just fine!
Dr. Moseson, MD also discusses for those of us who live in the country and farm, we are a lot safer if our tractor, tiller, combine, farm equipment was made after 2007! This is due to better diesel filtration system that doesn't cause quite as much damage to our health.
Allergies Worsen from Toxic Air Pollution and Climate Change!!
Check out her podcast episode here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2afPesdyVt83hLBO1PBMWk?si=XJvAe0YnRtmzHZ0yxA0tTg
https://open.spotify.com/episode/37U6F6NCz64tJecUnVsZjI?si=HsH2Hg_3TfaKugTdeCkfyg