MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS & WELLBEING
BREATHE EASY
Air quality has a significant impact on mental health, as confirmed by two recent studies – one in the US and the other in the UK.
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Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center studied the brains of 145 children with an average age of 12, looking for levels of myo-inositol, a naturally-occurring molecule that regulates hormones and insulin and can indicate stress if high levels are found.
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Children who lived in a home fewer than 400m or more than 1,500m from a major road were used for the sample, with neurological tests taking place when the children were 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 12 years old.
The tests revealed that children who had been exposed to higher levels of transport-related air pollution exhibited ‘significant’ increases of myo- inositol in the brain due to inflammation, which they believe was caused by air pollution, compared to those with a low exposure.
In another study, this time conducted by sound masking systems specialist the Remark Group and leading environmental psychologist Dr Nigel Oseland, has shown that 57% of UK office workers believe indoor air quality is affecting their mental and physical health.
Initial findings of a survey for the study, completed by more than 1,000 UK office workers, reveal that 80% think that poor indoor air quality could be having a negative impact on their health. The same proportion reported it could be having a similar effect on their work productivity.
Both of these reports show that exposing occupants to particulate matter can leave them open to health risks, as well as feeling lethargic and unproductive. That is why, air quality should be a key part of conversations about improving workplace health and safety, especially related to mental ill-health.
Indeed, the Institution of Occupational Safety and
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Indoor air quality is an increasingly important factor to consider in stress-related illness, and for good reason, says Mark Taylor of Camfil.
Health has urged the UK government to prioritise workplace health and safety to tackle record numbers of cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety, which last year reached 602,000 cases.
Two facts make indoor air quality (IAQ), in particular, worthy of health and welfare consideration – we spend close to 90% of our lives indoors and indoor air can be up to 50 times more polluted than that outdoors.
Better air quality translates to fewer pollutants and more oxygen. And good oxygen flow to the brain results in better cognitive performance and lower stress levels.
Outside pollution is intrinsically linked to IAQ because external pollutants inevitably find their way into buildings. However, as buildings have been made increasingly airtight to make them more energy efficient. This means that less air is flowing out of the building, so pollutants can easily become trapped inside. Ventilation helps to control air quality under these conditions.
Three main strategies are typically used to control indoor air quality. Firstly, pollutants are diluted and removed from the building, typically with mechanical ventilation. Filters prevent the ingress of harmful particulates into a building through the ventilation system. And finally, filtration systems such as air cleaners and purifiers clean the air of any remaining pollutants.
To prevent the ingress of poor-quality air through the ventilation system, specifiers can choose from a wide selection of different filters for use in a variety of applications, including HEPA, molecular and high temperature filters as well as general ventilation filters.
The best way to find out the right combination of ventilation, filters and air cleaners is to discuss it with an expert in the field.
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