Celebrate Clean Air Month
May ushers in a fresh take on clean air
As the season’s middle child, the month of May comes at a time when we’re well into Spring but not yet on the cusp of summer. It’s a great time to think more about how we can improve the air outside because we’re spending so much more time in it.
At the same time, many in hotter parts of the US will take to the indoors to seek relief from the climbing temperatures.
Either way, Clean Air Month is a good time to take stock of the quality of the air we all breathe and what we can do about it.
The origin of Clean Air Month
What began as a week-long event by The American Lung Association (ALA) in 1972, is now a full month observance that takes place every May. Over the years, the goals stayed the same: To raise awareness for the impact clean air can have on our everyday lives and to educate people about what they can do to make a positive impact.
The start of the event followed on the heels of the Clean Air Act of 1970, which enabled the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set national standards for air quality for the first time. Called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, they focus on six air pollutants, or “criteria pollutants,” found across the US, with some impressive results to report.
Progress in the air
Between 1970 and 2018, the combined emissions of the EPA’s six most common pollutants—carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide—dropped by 74 percent.1 (1EPA, Air Quality Improves as America Grows.)
What makes these achievements even more significant, is that these decreases happened alongside increases in population, energy consumption and the number of miles Americans drove.1
Six common air pollutants
| Soft Noises |
|---|
| Carbon monoxide |
| Lead |
| Ground-level ozone |
| Particulate matter |
| Nitrogen dioxide |
| Sulfur dioxide |
| Cause |
|---|
| Greatest outside air impact from vehicles and machinery burning fossil fuels. Inside: Kerosene and gas space heaters, gas stoves. |
| Major sources from ore and metals processing and aircraft running on leaded aviation fuel. |
| Forms as heat and sunlight combine with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. |
| Tiny inhalable particles, like dust, mold and bacteria. |
| Mostly from vehicle emissions. |
| Primary from power plants and industrial sites burning fossil fuels. |
2(US EPA, Criteria Air Pollutants.)
How do you know if your air is clean?
The link between location and clean air
If you live in Hawaii, Alaska or Washington state, you can feel confident the outside air you breathe is cleaner than most of the remaining US states. In Georgia, Ohio or Utah, air quality rankings are much lower, due to man-made traffic, nature-made topography or other issues that threaten air quality.3 (3World Population Review, Air Quality by State 2022.)
If you’re curious about the outdoor air quality around you, there are many online sources to check out. You simply enter your zip code to receive localized and current air quality data, as well as forecasted data.
Measuring indoor air quality
When it comes to making your indoor air as clean as possible, it might not be as easy as opening a window. That’s definitely true if you’re bothered by seasonal allergens.
Some airborne elements and particles, such as bacteria, viruses and fine dust, are too small for the human eye to see. Further, some airborne pollutants may be present before the human nose can sense them.
Daikin builds air-sensing technology into our room air purifiers. For example, the Daikin MCB50 room air purifier features an operating panel with air quality indicators for dust, particles and odors. Color-coded lights (green, orange and red) let you know the status of each element, with green being the goal: clean air.
The Daikin MCKB70 room air purifier, which comes with a built-in humidifier, adds to those indoor air quality measurements with sensors for air circulation, temperature and humidity.
Daikin room air purifiers aren’t just about measuring indoor air quality, they’re about improving it. Three filtration layers work with an ultraviolet C (UVC) light to decrease many airborne elements and pollutants to improve the quality of air around your home.4(4HEPA filter: According to our test results in a room size of 1,007 ft3.)
Turn awareness into action
The chart above may give you some ideas about the changes you can make to reduce air pollution. Even small changes in the ways you heat and cool your home, the vehicles you drive, and the household and personal products you purchase can have a big impact, when combined with the actions of others.
As is true for any transformation, whether out of the house, inside the home or inside of ourselves, change takes awareness. But awareness is only the tip of the iceberg in a world where even the icecaps are melting. It’s the actions we take that will make the difference in the quality of the air we all breathe.
