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Volunteer Stories: Creating a Cohort of Pollution Warriors

My effort to battle air pollution: One colony at a time

24/1/2016

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It’s amazing that even with all the current media attention, people are unwilling to come to terms with the idea that our current lifestyle and municipal systems (or lack of) are causing the largest health crisis of the century. Right here in India. 
​From outdated diesel/petrol cars, the lower quality fuel used, multiple diesel generator sets as power backups to burning of leaves and trash even by our own gardeners, lack of landfills and environmentally friendly trash management...the list goes on. These factors (and more) unwittingly causing hazardously polluted air quality and scores of illness among our youngest family members.
Think about it for a moment: We are living in an era where our children can potentially live up to 120 years (according to a recent Time magazine article). But what are the odds of that happening,  given the daily levels of air pollution they are exposed to?
If only we all could just take a piece of personal responsibility to make a difference, even if its just in our own backyard.
Its sad to hear people arguing that the government should do this and ought to do that. But what about us? Aren’t we all morally responsible to do something? Even small changes can make a big difference. Be it something as simple as carpooling, or in-lane driving. We seem to brake more than we honk! Can we not do something at a personal level? It’s seems like no one is willing to give up their lifestyle, as it’s not their problem and they are not the cause of it.
Recently, I’ve been pushing for a petition with the residents of our association to pledge that we will not buy diesel cars until the quality of diesel is raised, in this case, to Euro 6 standards, by 2020. Instead we should only buy Electric/ Hybrids cars. I feel that this will put pressure on the automobile industry to expedite the transition and the fuel industry to create a better supply chain and infrastructure. As they say, no pain no gain! I thought people would embrace this concept, but alas this is not the case. The younger generation is still willing to inconvenience themselves, but often not the older folks. Unfortunately, many are property owners and have very strong opinions even in the face of blasting evidence. But I will not give up and am optimistic that these folks will listen! Wish me good luck!


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Dr Manjali Khosla
​Manjali Khosla is a founding member, Care For Air. She moved to New Delhi from Canada over 3 years ago with her family. Since then, she has been diagnosed with pneumonia twice.  As a research scientist in asthma medication, her investigations have convinced her that this is due to her exposure to Delhi's toxic air. Manjali and her family wear masks all year round.

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Tarquin Investigates: The Case of The Missing PM2.5

22/1/2016

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I bought an electronic air quality monitor last summer and since then I’ve been monitoring the pollution levels inside our apartment – and crucially in our kids’ bedroom. Before I got the monitor everything was guess work: I couldn’t tell how effective the filters were, whether they needed replacing, which size to purchase, etc. 

The good news its that the Sharp air filters we’ve been using (and are readily available in India) are excellent. That said, if we kept the doors and windows open, there wouldn’t be any point in having them. I’ve found that the levels inside our apartment in south Delhi aren’t much lower than those outside. In other words, remaining inside and breathing unfiltered air doesn’t make a whole lot of difference when Delhi’s air quality is unhealthy to hazardous i.e. for the entire winter.


So here’s what I recommend, based on my own little controlled experiments. Adopt some simple – albeit tedious – practices and you can have good air quality inside the house round-the-clock – that is assuming you don’t live in a mansion, in which case you might want to think again.
​
  1. Contact one of the indoor air quality monitoring companies and get a rep to come and estimate how many machines you need. HEPA filters capable of trapping PM 2.5 are essential.
  2. Before the machines are switched on, seal all windows or at least close them as tight as possible – ditto gaps beneath doors, especially those opening to the outside.
  3. Keep doors inside closed as much as possible to create air pockets. Our sitting room, kitchen and the kids’ playroom is essentially one large area and I manage to keep the levels at an acceptable level throughout the day. Ditto my office, which is small and therefore easy to filter. At night it’s not such a challenge, either. But again, bedroom doors must remain closed. 
  4. Once the doors are closed, the Sharp machines working at full blast take around one hour to clean the air to a desirable level (at which point a lot of the same, clean air is being circulated over and over again). To maintain a good level throughout the morning when the pollution is at its most intense, I have to keep the filters set at maximum. This is a little noisy, but to us, worth it. After lunch, the machines are generally turned down to medium.
  5. I turn the machines off in our living area and office at night, but they go back on at around 6 PM. I turn the bedroom ones on at around 6 PM.
  6. Clean the filters once a week. I vacuum the pre-filters and lightly brush the crenulated HEPA filters.
  7. Change the HEPA filters every three months without fail.

Please also note the following:

  • Some companies supply extra pre-filters for the largest two Sharp models. These are a must for trapping the largest particular matter and help prolong the life of the hepa filters. The pre-filters can be vacuumed and washed. When the levels are as apocalyptic as they’ve been recently, ours get coated in a thick layer of crap in a matter of days.
  • Cooking on gas releases lots of PM2.5, which is extra work for the filters, so worth closing the kitchen door when cooking and turning on the extractor fan, if possible.
  • ​Buy an air quality monitor. Mine cost $200 and is manufactured by Dylos in the USA dylosproducts.com. It’s simple to use - provides instant data for PM 2.5 and PM 10. 
  • As a general guide to how many machines are required: we have a three-bed apartment with a playroom. The machines cost about a lakh (100,000 rupees). But I move them around a bit – for example, I take the one from the kids’ bedroom and use it in my office during the day.

NB When the levels are as consistently high as they've been over the last few months, the filters need changing every two months. It's worth noting that the full compliment of filters in my house i.e. six Sharp machines, costs 25,000 rupees.
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​Tarquin Hall​
Tarquin Hall is an English journalist, blogger and novelist. He is the author of the Vish Puri series and lives in New Delhi with his wife, BBC journalist Anu Anand and two young children. He has been investigating how best to fight air pollution in New Delhi.
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5 Ways to protect children from Delhi winter smog

19/1/2016

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You know it. It comes with the arrival of the cooler temperatures. Delhi’s air quality decreases - out go the blue skies and in come that gray-hued smog. Many factors contribute to the air pollution in Delhi. But winter weather patterns make the problem worse. The cooler winter air traps pollutants from rising higher into the atmosphere, a situation exacerbated by the geography of our city. With the onset of the season, we often see the little members of the family affected. Coughing, sniffling, sneezing and general discomfort begin. Is it our imagination or are the children more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution? They are more vulnerable. Their lungs are not fully developed until their late teens and they breathe more air per pound of body weight.

So how can we protect our little ones from taking the brunt of the season’s worst air in our city?

Well for starters, keep a few things in mind:
  1. ​Download real time air quality apps to monitor the hourly readings. Watch out for early morning and very late afternoon and evening time, these hours are typically the worst in terms of air quality. http://safar.tropmet.res.in/or http://aqicn.org/city/delhi/r.k.-puram/
  2. Avoid aerobic activity during the “bad” air times. That means during the winter months in Delhi consider moving the children’s cricket, tennis or football practice to midday or early afternoon timings. Same goes for Mommy’s exercise routine….! Shift early morning jogs or walks in the local park to midday for better air.
  3. Talk to your child’s school. Ask them to monitor air quality and adjust outdoor sports and activities during the winter months to help limit exposure during the bad air times.
  4. Look into buying a high quality face mask that filters out dangerous airborne particles for your child. 
  5. Look for either N95 or N99 rated masks and be sure the fit is secure with no outside gaps to let outside air in. The gap would negate the positive benefit and protection from the mask by allowing pollutant particles back in.
  6. Consider an indoor air filter for your home, specifically for your child’s bedroom. This would ensure 8-10 hours of sleeping time with cleaner air for your little one. There are some great options on the market. Best to look for air cleaning devices that can remove particles from the air.
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​​Tina Chadha
Tina Chadha is a founding member of Care For Air. In 2009, she relocated to New Delhi, India. Within her own family, she has felt the impact of India’s air pollution problem. She believes the air we breathe is the ultimate democratizer and that clean air must be accessible to all.
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    Any views or opinions presented in these blogs are solely those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Care For Air. Any reference to specific products or suppliers is solely the opinion of the author and does not represent an endorsement by Care For Air. 

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  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Co-Founders Team
    • Governing Board
    • Core Executive Team
    • Advisors
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Training Programs >
      • CFA Advocacy Training Program
      • Student Ambassador Program
    • You Can Help >
      • Get Involved With Care For Air
      • Acknowledgements
  • PROTECT YOUR HEALTH
    • What is PM2.5?
    • What Are The Health Risks? >
      • Children Most At Risk
      • Does Air Pollution Cause Cancer?
    • Guidance For Protection Against Air Pollution >
      • iCare - Recommendation For Schools
      • Outdoor Activity Guidelines
      • Protect Yourself While Travelling in India
      • Protect Against Air Pollution Exposure
    • What The Studies Tell Us >
      • So What About Delhi's Air?
  • SOLUTIONS
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG