Hot days are bad enough but when you add in a batch of air pollution, as can be found in most major cities, the air quality only seems to get exponentially worse. Major cities have a tendency to form a sort of “heat island” where temperatures on hot days can actually be 2-22°F (1-12°C) hotter than if you live in a nearby rural community.

Living in a valley versus living by the ocean or on a mountain range can also adversely affect air quality on hot days. The hot weather seems to almost cook the pollution and make it that much harder to breathe. Besides, did you know that ”Ozone persists for hours after forming, so unhealthy conditions often last well into the evening, after the sun has gone down.“?

Therefore you might want to be aware of these 5 ways that air pollution can hit hard on a hot day:

1) Personally – According to the American Heart Association, continued exposure to air pollution could eventually contribute to heart disease and/or strokes. On hot days, this risk is magnified.

Additionally, young children, people with asthma and older adults are especially susceptible to breathing problems in heavily polluted areas and on hot days. So it is advised, for the sake of your health, to keep an eye on the air quality before you plan any prolonged outdoor activities for you and your family.

Drinking plenty of water and making sure you don’t get dehydrated is key as well. One of my favorite drinks (besides water) when it’s hot outside is: 1-2 teaspoons Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons organic honey and 8 ounces of cold distilled water. It really hits the spot on a hot day!

2) Pets – Animals are not able to fend for themselves most of the time. They depend on their owners to feed them, give them water, provide for them, etc. On hot days this is especially important.

Image by shoe the Linux Librarian

Don’t leave your pet in an area where they can’t escape the hot Summer heat. Also, make sure your pet has plenty of water. A dog, for example, usually drinks about .5-1 ounces of water for every pound they weigh. Hot days they will need more. Animals, like humans can suffer from heat stroke, get sunburns and get dehydrated. It is up to you to ensure your dog is well cared for.

When air quality is poor, your pet can experience some of the same symptoms you do. It is important to limit their exercise on hot, heavy pollution days and minimize their exposure to air pollutants too. Here are a few more hot weather pet care tips.

3) Your vehicle – As you probably know, unless you have an electric vehicle, your vehicle is more than likely contributing to harmful emissions and air pollution. Additionally, when air quality is poor, we tend to keep the windows rolled up and turn up the air conditioning. Which, if you don’t keep your vehicle properly maintained, could cause your vehicle to overheat.

One key tip, since gas vapors are quite harmful and contribute to ground ozone levels, is that you don’t fill up on hot “Air Quality Action Days“. If you have to fill up, it is recommended that you do so in the early morning hours or late evening, like after 7pm.

Nobody wants their car breaking down on a hot, pollution-heavy day.

4) Home – One of the first things we do, or are told to do, on a hot day when air pollution is especially heavy is to stay inside. Makes sense, right?! Well, not necessarily so. Indoor air quality can sometimes be up to 50% worse than outdoor air quality.

Besides the tips in the above video, here are a few more good ways you can improve the air quality inside your home. Take a look and see what you can do so that neither outdoor nor indoor air pollution will hit you quite as hard on a hot day.

5) Your wallet – One of the not so visible things that tends to get hit pretty hard on hot, heavy pollution days is your wallet. Just think about, if you stay at home, you probably spend more money trying to keep your house cool. You might turn on a few extra lights that wouldn’t usually be on.

You might drink and use more water to try and keep yourself cool. Maybe you even water your plants and lawn more to try and keep them from wilting or turning brown.

If you are in your vehicle, you are spending more even if just by having your a/c running the entire time you are out and about.

All in all, it pretty much boils down to the fact that air pollution gets worse on hot days. So a smart way to lower your risk is to lower the amount of air pollution you are putting into the environment. What tips do you have for lowering your exposure to air pollution on hot days?

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If you live in or around any major city you are more than likely having to deal with some form of air pollution on a daily basis. There are many sources of air pollution: vehicle emissions, manufacturing, factories, cigarettes, aerosol sprays, airplanes, wood burning or gas stoves/fireplace, just to name a few.

It is the major cities that tend to be weighed down by the heaviest pollution. Take for example, the volume of air pollution between a small town in the Pacific Northwest and a major city like Los Angeles or even Burbank, CA. The difference in air pollution can not only be seen, but it can be felt as well. The air is thicker, it is harder to breathe, even vision can be impaired.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, in April 2010, Forbes.com included the city in their America’s Most Polluted Cities list with special note that the LA metro area was listed as “the country’s worst for ozone by the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2010 report“. Not a good sign for Los Angeles.

If you have never lived in a major city, or even if you have, the ALA’s chief medical officer made a good comparison when he stated that inhaling ozone is akin to ”getting a sunburn on your airways“. Nobody wants that.

But before you decide you have to pack up and move, there are simple steps you can take to lower air pollution and the affect it has on you and your health:

1) Carpool whenever you can and/or use a proven fuel additive to lower your vehicle’s emissions.

1a) If you can, get a low emission vehicle such as a hybrid or electric vehicle.

1b) Take public transportation when and where it is available.

Image by prayitno

2) Turn off lights, electronics, etc when they are not in use. Unplug small appliances as well, as they often continue to suck small amounts of energy even when not in use.

3) Invest in alternative energy such as solar or wind power.

4) Re-use and recycle as much as you can. There is no reason to go out and buy more “things”. If you need something, see if you can find it used or even borrow it from someone else. It is also a great way to save money.

5) Plant trees around your home.

Image by j_silla

6) Use low-VOC paints when painting or touching up your home.

7) If you do have heavy pollution days in your area, do not over-exert yourself. It’s recommended for your health to stay indoors on days when air quality is poor.

If you are uncertain about the air quality in your area, you can check here.

Just remember that the things you do and the choices you make, affect not only you but those around you as well. So when it comes to your health and the help of your family, friends and neighbors, please keep that in mind. A simple choice can sometimes make a big difference.

What choices have you made recently that help lower air pollution?

Image by Brian Teutsch (via Flickr)

The holidays are a time for bringing families together, decorating, giving gifts, hosting parties, enjoying each other’s company, etc.  However one thing I could do without during the holidays is indoor air pollution.  More prevalent during the holidays than any other time of year, indoor air pollution can have a larger affect on your holiday that you might realize.

FACT: A typical house can have more pollutants indoors than outdoors.  Some of those pollutants include dust, mold, bacteria, combustion gases from fireplaces and/or wood-burning stoves, cleaning products, pet dander, carbon monoxide fumes from an attached garage, chemical fumes, cigarette smoke, etc.  Then when you add in the holidays with items such as: candles, holiday baking/cooking, live Christmas trees, new toys/furniture and all the cleaning supplies used to get ready for guests, a house can get pretty toxic.

Now I’m not saying a live Christmas tree isn’t a good thing to have…it’s probably less toxic than an artificial tree.  Just keep in mind the more you decorate, the more toxins and/or pollutants you are adding to your home.  Therefore I would recommend using more natural decorations and less manufactured items (less likelihood for lead, paint smells, etc).  One good decoration is the pine cone…you just go outside, find some pine trees and collect your own.  If you don’t live in an area with pine trees, find other ways to bring in/make natural decorations.

If you really must have those holiday candles, then I recommend SallyLeeCandles.com and her soy candles.  They are much more eco-friendly, non-toxic and won’t contribute to your indoor air pollution like other candles will.  Non-toxic plants and flowers also add more life and decoration to a home and provide a natural scent.

To “air out” the smells and pollutants in your home and help ensure you and your holiday guests don’t get overwhelmed by indoor air pollution, simply open your doors or windows.  I’m not saying throw open your windows in 4 degrees with snow all around, but if you crack open a window in the kitchen while you are baking or open the door now and again to let some fresh air in, it will help keep your home from being overrun by holiday pollutants.  It also helps to keep humidity levels low and discourage mold and other allergens.  There are even some DIY steps you can take before the holidays to combat indoor air pollution.

One of the simplest tips of all, to ensure indoor air pollution doesn’t ruin your holiday, is to enjoy some time outdoors during the holidays. Getting fresh air can do wonders for your health and your spirit, especially over the holidays.  There is nothing like the crisp, fresh outdoors. Take some time to enjoy it this holiday season!