Tips to Protect From Pollution This Deepavali
Mother Nature is continuously trying to convey that “Your Freedom Ends Where My Nose Begins”…
We an egoistic society are trying to cut the nose to spite the face. Anyway whether you are going to put all hazardous metals like Ba Cd Cu into air for a week or your neighbours will do it for you, you need to protect yourself, your family and your home from taking in these and store it inside your body or home.
Community Celebration – Encourage friends and neighbourhood to celebrate it in one designated place away from all residential units like the 4th of July celebration in USofA . Its more fun and can be managed better for emergencies. In this way one can avoid major fraction of pollution entering homes because smoke generated in cracker bursting is kind of heavy and stays lower unless there is strong wind . Once pollution enters home it will keep on circulating ,collecting on furnitures and causing lung problems later on.
Keeping the pollution out of homes- Along with air pollution there is noise pollution for people staying at home. There are noise reducing curtains available or generally thick and heavy curtains which reduce lot of noise and also trap pollution can be put up for few days . Though these are not very allergy friendly but can be used for few days every year to absorb nose as well as air pollution . Can be washed and kept after couple of days. People staying in higher floors of a high rise building are protected more.
Plants with hairy stems and leaves collect particulate pollution so if one has a small balcony or garden investing in these plants can decrease pollution entering homes. One of them is Indian favourite madhumalthi. House plants are not capable of solving any pollution. It’s almost a myth. If air pollution is extreme and there is no way to stop it entering home investing in a home air purifier is the only option. It may waste a lot of power and may not be a green option but egoistically bursting crackers is neither.
Personal protection- Every one knows that pollution enters lungs and get stored there so a mask specially for PM2.5 is a must if attending outdoor celebrations. A tried and tested one is 3M N95 though there are many options now. Check which one will be best and buy for each and every member of the family .
Its easier to protect breathing but pollution specially PM2.5 and poisonous gases can enter through skin, eye and mucous membranes. These particles themselves are less than 2.5 micrometers in width, about thirty times smaller than a human hair. Our skin pores are about 40 – 50 micrometers, almost 20 times larger than the particles; allowing air pollutants to easily penetrate the skin.
These pollutants also increase the level of free radicals, which are harmful to the skin and lead to wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots especially on the face and neck.
Wearing Loose long sleeved cotton/linen clothes is the only option. Infact one should also wear long cotton driving gloves (which women use to protect their arms from getting tanned) . Hair and scalp should be protected buy scarf/caps or any other head covering. Loose cotton clothes are also recommended for fire safety purpose.
It seems our ancestors knew more than us when they used traditional kurta –pyjama with turban during festivals. Pollution gets collected in hair and scalp and is inhaled during sleep if bathing before bed time is not opted( traditionally we are not a night bathing culture –a negative).
Glasses are there to protect eyes and small cotton balls can protect pollution from entering ears.
There is no detox of pollutants entering our bodies no matter what fancy tips suggest. No herbal concoction, exercise or food can take out the heavy metals once they enter our bodies. Use protection this time to stay safe and healthy but also remember people on streets and animals. If possible provide protection for them too.
Featured Image is showing only one protection…multiple needed
Feature Image credit – https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/firecrackers-are-dangerous-to-health-here-are-12-ways-to-deal-with-pollution-post-diwali/109385
