Air pollution, in particular particulate matter (PM), is constantly in the news because of global warming and its effects on our health.

In this article, we break down the basic things you need to know about particulate matter so you can protect your business and your employees.

91% of people living in cities are not breathing safe air

What is particulate matter and why is it important?

Particulate matter is a series of dust, dirt and liquid particles that are suspended in the air. Some of these are large enough to be seen, such as smoke, smog or soot.

However, the most harmful are the smaller, invisible particles. Helpfully, airborne particles are categorised according to size. PM2.5, for example, has a diameter of less than 2.5 microns. PM2.5 (also known as fine particles) can enter your lungs and even your bloodstream.  Therefore, PM1 would be smaller particles than Pm2.5. Simply put, the healthier the air, the fewer PM particles in the workplace.

How does PM affect the health of people in offices, healthcare facilities and training centres?

Exposure to PM, including from emissions and industrial processes, is a major source of respiratory and cardiovascular disease. As these particles can become trapped indoors, especially with HVAC units bringing ‘fresh’ air from outside to inside, monitoring is vital.

The WHO estimates that about 7 million people die each year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air.

In addition, research shows that there are three key areas of our health that are affected by particulate pollution:

Irritation of the eyes, ears, nose and throat:

Particles can cause inflammation even when the mucous membranes in your nose are doing their job of filtering out larger particles. Some studies show that inhaling airborne particles is associated with a greater need for sinus surgery. In the short term it is likely to mean runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes.

It causes asthma and allergies: Because PM inflames the airways, people with asthma are particularly susceptible to its effects and also contribute to the development of the disease. PM is also associated with allergic respiratory reactions, such as hay fever.

Exacerbation of coronary and respiratory disease:

PM can cause a resurgence or worsening of problems for people with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

All this can lead to employee dissatisfaction and of course to an increase in sick days.

Education centres and healthcare facilities are also at risk, as research has shown that pollution can affect people throughout their lives. One study found that children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable to the effects of PM. Make sure your buildings are safe by monitoring indoor PM levels with Greciot’s solution.

How is PM produced?

PM comes from both man-made and natural sources outdoors. The anthropogenic variety can be produced by industry, construction, landfills, agriculture, motor vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines, and friction from brakes and tires.

While natural sources include fires, pollen-producing plants, water-borne spraying, soil, and even volcanoes and other seismic activities. “Secondary particles” are created when gases react in the air to form particles. Nitrogen oxides emitted from traffic and some industrial gases can become solids or liquids in this way.

What can I do to reduce PM levels in my workplace?

There are ways in which a business can protect workers from high PM. As the main source comes from outside air, which can be trapped indoors. Below we have compiled easy steps to reduce PM levels in the workplace:

Step one: monitoring

First, you need to confirm that you have high PM levels. Greciot’s solution installs in minutes, with wireless monitors that run on long-lasting batteries, making PM monitoring easy.

Step two: Investigate

Is this a continuous problem? And are all your sensors reporting high PM levels? If it’s just one area, it could mean that something inside is creating high levels. Similarly, if you only have high levels at certain times of the day, this could be the result of an energy. For example, high levels when the building is being cleaned could be the cause. Vacuuming and other cleaning activities can stir up dust in the air, creating the readings.

Step three: investigate the outdoors

Once you’ve confirmed that the problem is ongoing, it may be time to investigate the outside air around your business. This is because contaminated air from the outdoors may be entering your building. The Airthings Dashboard provides local PM outdoor particle levels.

Step four: check your HVAC system.

Check to see if your HVAC system is working as intended. If so, simply cleaning the filters in your ventilation systems regularly helps ensure that trapped particles are not being recycled throughout the building. Similarly, changing the filters on HVAC units will help ensure that fresh air is coming in.

Step five: do you need to upgrade your filters?

There are many HVAC filters on the market, when you are experiencing high levels of particulate matter, it may be time to upgrade to a higher rated filter. As you know, stronger filters require more energy from the HVAC system to push air through them. The use of its data. Greciot to show elevated PM levels can help you justify the need for an upgrade to the appropriate parties.