Every winter, India’s PM2.5 pollution levels reach more than 10 times the World Health Organization’s annual limit. Hazy skies and high pollution alerts have become the norm during India’s winters. But just why is this? Analyzing India’s Summer & Winter Pollution Levels Data analyzed by Smart Air showed that India’s winter PM2.5 air pollution levels […]
Tag: health
Do N95 Masks Deprive Us of Oxygen?
Wearing masks for hours on end has led some people to worry about whether N95 masks deprive us of oxygen. Scientists have actually made people wear N95 masks and measured their blood oxygen. So we have a solid answer to this question, and it’s not what this question assumes. This question itself doesn’t ask IF […]
Can HEPA Filters Be Used to Make DIY Face Masks?
News media like The New York Times and Today have been talking about using HEPA filters as a material to make DIY face masks. There are even YouTube videos showing how to DIY a mask out of a HEPA filter. But just how well can HEPA filters capture virus-sized particles, and can HEPA […]
Are Fibers From HEPA Filters Harmful to Health?
HEPAs are air filters often used in air purifiers or central air systems to clean indoor air. They’re made from a mat of randomly aligned fibers that are usually made from polypropylene (PP) or fiberglass. That fact has made some people afraid of HEPA filters. There’s a controversy over whether fiberglass particles can cause lung […]
What Are the Best Materials for Making DIY Masks?
With masks sold out during the coronavirus outbreak, many people will have to make do with what some scientists have called “the last resort”: the DIY mask. Data shows that DIY and homemade masks are effective at capturing viruses. But if forced to make our own mask, what material is best suited to make a […]
Can DIY Masks Protect Us From Coronavirus?
DIY masks to protect against from viruses sounds like a crazy idea. Data shows masks work incredibly well, and they’re also really cheap. Surgical masks cost a few pennies, and they’re capable of filtering out 80% of particles down to 0.007 microns (14 times smaller than the coronavirus). However, the coronavirus outbreak brought with it […]
Hong Kong’s Air Quality Might Not Be as Good as You Think
Hong Kong doesn’t come to mind when people think of air pollution. However, the data tells a different story–one that has important implications for Hong Kongers’ health. Hong Kong’s Air Pollution in Numbers I just analyzed data on Hong Kong’s pollution data and found that PM2.5 averaged 30 micrograms in 2018. Here’s how that compares to […]
Do Air Purifiers Remove PM2.5?
When I was coughing through Beijing’s airpocalypse and thinking about buying an air purifier, I wanted to know something first–do air purifiers really remove PM2.5? I wondered because I saw lots of air purifier tests on pollen, but pollen is generally 10 microns or larger, whereas I was really concerned about the stuff […]
How’s the Air Quality in Bangkok? See the Data
Bangkok saw some terrible air quality and high PM2.5 levels during the start of 2019, with news reports of schools closing and government limiting car usage. But just how bad is Bangkok’s air quality? I analyzed 2018’s PM2.5 data, provided by the Thailand Government monitor near the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, and here’s what I found: […]
Did Mumbai’s Air Quality Improve in 2018?
Smart Air analysed Mumbai’s PM2.5 air quality data provided by the US Consulate. What we found was that Mumbai’s PM2.5 levels increased 15% in 2018, giving much poorer air quality than the previous year. These higher air pollution levels push Mumbai’s annual PM2.5 average to more than seven times the World Health Organization’s annual limit of […]
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