For the London long-term study, the results of which have now been published in the European Respiratory Journal, the scientists analysed the health data of more than 300,000 people aged between 40 and 69. The frightening result of the London long-term study: Five micrograms (equivalent to five millionths of a gram) more particulates (particle size PM2.5) per m³ of air per year corresponds to an average of two years of natural lung ageing. Or put more simply: the worse the indoor and ambient air, the faster people's lungs age - and the risk of COPD increases.
Frightening findings
Particularly piquant: The decline in lung function with identical particulate matter exposure goes hand in hand with the income of the test persons - those who earn less have a risk of developing COPD that is higher by a factor of 3 than a person with a higher income. In the view of the researchers around Anna Hansell, this can be explained above all by more frequent respiratory infections in children, poorer housing conditions, poorer nutrition, higher exposure to particulate matter in the occupational environment and the corresponding indoor air quality.
In COPD, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the airways are narrowed, which initially leads to a daily cough, especially in the morning, or shortness of breath when climbing stairs.
This shows how important it is to raise awareness of the issue of indoor air. That is why the air-Q was developed, which can measure and detect even the smallest particulates particles in the room air with a size of less than 1 µm. Because in principle, the smaller the particles are, the more dangerous they are for humans because they can penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract and even into the bloodstream.
Current limit values for particulates
Umweltschutzverbände fordern schon seit Jahren, EU-Grenzwerte für Feinstaubpartikel, die kleiner als PM2,5 (<2,5 µm) sind, zu senken. Der von der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) empfohlene Jahresmittelwert liegt bei 10 Mikrogramm PM2,5 pro Kubikmeter Luft. Der Grenzwert für die maximale Feinstaubbelastung an einem Tag liegt momentan bei 25 Mikrogramm (für Partikel <2,5 µm) und wird in der EU ab dem 1. Januar 2020 auf dann 20 Mikrogramm reduziert. Deutschland hat sich im sogenannten Göteborg-Protokoll 2012 sowie der BEC-Richtlinie zu weitgehenden Emissionsminderungen bis 2030 verpflichtet. Bis 2020 soll eine Minderung der PM2,5-Emission um 26 Prozent gegenüber 2005 erreicht werden – bis 2030 sogar von 43 Prozent.
The air-Q air analyser measures particulates particles (Particular Matter) in the three sizes PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 and warns when the limit values are exceeded both directly on the device and via the air-Q app for Android and iOS smartphones. Through continuous data acquisition, the air-Q measuring device is able to analyse whether the sources of particulates are inside or outside the room. Often, such particles are let into the rooms by incorrectly timed ventilation - or, for example, are emitted in the office environment by certain electrical devices such as laser printers.
(Image: unsplash/ Alexey Demidov)
