The dangers of indoor air pollution

[Wheezycat]

I just found the following interesting article on the matter. This affects me and my asthma in a rather direct way thus I am so interested, but it is a danger for all of us whether we have asthma or not.

bbc.com/future/article/2020...

[LeiLey]

Wow interesting article, thank you for sharing 👍

[Poobah]

Very interesting. Difficult to escape modern day pollutants it seems. I always finds things worse in the winter, spending more time indoors, insulated home and central heating - no doubt pollutants accumulate. My aunt would always open all the windows, no matter the weather as she loved fresh air and couldn't tolerate cleaning products. Maybe it's time to look at investing in an air purifier?

[Wheezycat in reply to Poobah]

Ye, I have wondered the same. Like you it seems I find winters far more difficult than summers, so I am mostly cooped up indoors. We are now trying to add a routine of opening a cluster of windows at the same time, so air can really pull through. This goes back to my childhood. I grew up in a place that could be seriously cold (people there have been known to refer to ‘only -15 today’). The norm if cold was to create a ‘cross draft’ as it was called, for 15-20 minutes. I have now returned to this habit.

[Poobah in reply to Wheezycat]

Modern furnishings, especially in offices where they're likely to be synthetic, emit pollutants. That goes for car interiors too. Have you ever wondered why the interior windscreen surface has a film on it after a while, if not cleaned? My garage explained it was a film because of the interior plastics.Microplastics are also a problem. I've given up using a reusable plastic bottle for drinks. I watched a documentary about DuPont and their non stick products - grim stuff; "Dark Waters". I've ditched my non-stick pans too! But that's not to do with asthma.

We'll not escape it all, but small adjustments are better than nowt. I may well follow your example and open the windows every day for a period of time.

[Wheezycat in reply to Poobah]

Yes, there is much to learn! I too have given up my recyclable bottles, and got a metal one instead, and I have no non-stick except my frying pan. It is hard to get away from. I once went to a talk by Nicola Carslaw (a professor in York who specialises in indoor air pollution - she is mentioned in the article) and she said she had asked for lino flooring in her office to get away from the pollutants in the carpets (they were new offices in a new block), but it was still glued down by pollution emitting glues. It is really difficult, if not impossible, to wholly get away from, but I try as much as I can, bit by bit. My focus is currently on how to cook safer for me. That is hard enough for now, though yesterday I managed to make some rather nice chocolate brownies in the microwave. I am sure that, too, is fraught with issues, but it is the best I can do for now.

[Poobah in reply to Wheezycat]

My SIL frowns upon my microwave use, but I find it better than stove cooking. Ho hum. 😉

[Wheezycat in reply to Poobah]

Clearly neither is perfect!

[LeiLey in reply to Poobah]

This reminds me of my Gran god bless her. She only got diagnosed asthmatic in later life but even when I was little, I can remember her having to have the windows open all year round. She loved to have the feeling of fresh air in and we all sat shivering in the winter lol 😊

[AutumnHedgerow]

Ah, very interesting thanks WC. Have eradicated a lot of indoor pollutants, fires, candles, carpets, cleaning products etc but am partial to an omelette!!

[Wheezycat in reply to AutumnHedgerow]

Yesterday I decided to give ‘normal’ (for me) cooking a go. I made a veggie Indian. Most of it went into my slow cooker, but first a toasted/fried some spices, as per normal, and an onion. Hmmmm. Not great. No asthma attack as we nipped it quickly. Now I don’t know whether I can get back to it. The other day my husband made some scrambled eggs for both of us. Due to my uncertain emotional relationship with eggs I viewed it with suspicion, but it tasted lovely! I, too, like omelettes and tortillas, frittatas etc, but just now I don’t dare. Or should I either give it a try or try to make it in the microwave?

[AutumnHedgerow in reply to Wheezycat]

I only really react when cooking when my asthma flaring, otherwise I’m fine and can fry onions and spices fine, but I can see the accumulated effect might be one of the many things that add to a flare

[Wheezycat in reply to AutumnHedgerow]

I have had such issues for a while, though not totally consistent. Someone else toasting g bread is not great. And for months or longer I have felt the whiffs of burning fats/oils, but not so bad it stopped me doing it, though for some time I have looked into ways of cooking that avoids these ‘burney’ things. Changing our gas cooker to an electric one could be part of it, but that isn’t done in a jiffy. I have even slightly reacted on others baking a cake, even though I was on a different floor. It is becoming a real thing for me.

[AutumnHedgerow in reply to Wheezycat]

I am much better on the cooking front since we changed from gas to electric. I have to stay away from the kitchen for a good couple of hours when my husband is baking bread though.