What Chemicals are you Breathing?

Two red smoke stack

There are a certain amount of chemicals that we encounter in our day to day lives, which are generally and coherently called VOC or Volatile Organic Compounds. These chemicals are the mixture present in our homes and possibly found in the air we breathe every day.

The VOC’s that are generally present in our daily lives are benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and 1,3-butadiene. Anything that releases any new kind of fragrance or smell is generally defined as Volatile Organic Compounds.

Health Effects that are caused by VOC are:-

VOC has been categorized as very harmful to the health causing several amounts of major and minor health effects like :

1. Allergic Skin Reactions – A lot of people have allergies with different substances related to chemicals which can lead to skin allergies including, rashes, boils, redness or itchiness.

2. Nausea– Chemicals can cause people to feel different sorts of discomfort including nausea which is arrived from a strong odour created by the chemicals in the air.

3. Nose and Throat Irritation – People who are sensitive to different smells and odour are irritated the most with the Chemical concentrations of VOC as it causes allergic reactions, creating throat to ache or sneezing.

4. Sick Building Syndrome – Sick Building Syndrome is objectively the combination of all the health effects that can be caused by the harmful fumes of VOC like the above mentioned short-term effects and headaches, difficulty concentrating, dizziness and asthma in addition to those.
There are also certain long-term effect can be caused Sick Building Syndrome like cancer and heart disease.

Ways to protect you from VOC are:-

There are certain things that can be done to eliminate the harmful effects of VOC from your building or house.

Go antique.
Whenever you buy furniture, try not buying the ones which are especially brand new as they may contain the highest amount of VOC gases. Try buying some antique or vintage wooden furniture as they will have had the time to eliminate the maximum amount of VOC gases. Isn’t old always gold now?
Get some plants.
Always have plants in your house to minimize the effects of VOC gases. Getting plants like Boston Ivy that absorb the VOC gases the most. And our recommendation? Get ALOT OF THEM.
Get an Air Monitor.
To know about your VOC, the first thing you need to know if it is even there and you can’t do that without having an air monitor which checks and tells you about the air pollution in your house.
Ventilate.
Ventilation is always a good idea when you cook inside your house or probably burn scented candles. Open your windows and doors for some time or if you can’t do that switch on the fans.

With all the Air Pollution around us, it’s always good to be to be safe and KNOW WHAT YOU BREATHE.

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