https://www.livescience.com/9469-air-breathe-loaded-microbes.html https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120328172255.htm


WASTE, POLLUTION & SUSTAINABILITY


https://www.allergicliving.com/2015/03/19/the-mighty-dust-mite http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php https://www.cleanairday.org.uk/news/revealed-indoor-air-pollution-35-times-worse-than-outdoor-air-pollution https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/indoor-air-pollution/about-indoor-air-pollution https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/air-cleaners-and-air-filters-home https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/air-purifiers/article/how-to-improve-your-indoor-air-quality-at-home https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/easy-ways-you-can-improve-indoor-air-quality


Up in the Air Clare Noble, Head of Healthcare at hygiene services provider phs Group, stresses the


importance of managing the air quality within your care home and advises on the best ways to do so.


In the day-to-day running of your efficient and well-regarded care home, there’s an inevitable balance between what’s a necessity and what’s otherwise a ‘nice to have’.


However, one thing easily miscategorised is the air your residents are breathing every second of the day. Invisible to the naked eye and therefore easy to overlook, the air within your care home should be given far more consideration. And, as research increases and technology advances, more care homes are doing just this – but why?


Consider this- there are more than 1,800 kinds of bacteria in the air around us. One person’s presence in a room can add 37 million bacteria to the air every hour. And just one cubic metre of air contains up to 15,000 flu viruses.


Then we turn to dust; one gram of dust holds around 500 dust mites. A typical mattress can contain tens of thousands of dust mites, with one square yard of carpet home to nearly 100,000 mites. Each mite excretes 20 faecal pellets a day which are airborne – so imagine the quantity you’re exposed to right now. But that’s not all.


Next, we turn to pollutants from traffic fumes on nearby roads and industry. The problem is that pollutants are concentrated indoors, with experts finding air pollution is 3.5 times worse indoors than outdoors.With a Friends of the Earth report finding almost 2,000 locations have levels of air pollution that exceed safety limits, this becomes increasingly alarming.


Feeling a little bit itchy and uncomfortable yet?


The fact is, our air contains a cocktail of germs, pollutants and allergens which have the potential to harm our health


and wellbeing. The effect of this is already evident, with research showing indoor air pollutants are responsible for half of all illnesses. Of course, we have colds and flu as we breathe in a fine mist of other people’s coughs and sneezes but norovirus can also be airborne spread. More seriously, the British Lung Foundation states indoor air pollution is linked to increased risk of pneumonia, COPD, lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Additionally, researcher Professor Hazim Awbi cites poor indoor air quality results in the loss of life years and a range of undesirable health effects.


“One person’s


presence in a room can add 37 million bacteria to the air every hour.”


To


So now we’ve realised the extent of the problem, what’s the solution? One of the most popular ways of improving indoor air quality is through air purifiers, recommended by organisations including the Environmental Protection Agency, Which? and Harvard Medical Journal. These work by literally cleaning the air around you, physically removing impurities. For example, phs AERAMAX air purifiers use HEPA filters and a four-stage purification system which removes 99.97% of airborne contaminants as small as 0.1 microns. They remove airborne germs and viruses – including the flu and norovirus – as well as allergens and pollen and particulate matter. What’s more, air purifiers also remove odours which may emanate from kitchens, cleaning, chemicals, waste and bathrooms. This creates a cleaner, fresher, healthier and more comfortable environment for your care home and one which you can be proud of.


At phs, we’ve already seen a rise in demand for air purifiers and are installing them in healthcare buildings around the country, from care homes and hospitals to GP surgeries and dentists. As more people’s eyes are opened to it, indoor air quality is an issue will continue to rise up the agenda until it’s firmly established as essential to tackle by all.


www.phs.co.uk


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www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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