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Especially in autumn and winter, the media quite often informs us that air quality in Poland is dramatic and unfortunately most of us are not aware of it. What are the health effects of breathing polluted air?
Air pollution is a mixture of many different gases and particles from man-made sources, including automotive exhaust and industrial emissions. The main pollutants of our air are solid particles, the so-called particulate matter (PM), which is the most harmful and is mainly produced by burning coal and wood in households, nitrogen dioxide from road transport or gas cookers, sulfur dioxide from the combustion of fossil fuels, and ozone. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere has a protective function against ultraviolet radiation, it is harmful in high concentration at ground level, affecting, among others, on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. [1]
Air quality in Poland – what do we really breathe?
Bad air quality is a problem in many regions of the world, including Poland. Worldwide, both cities and villages report that toxic air pollutants exceed the annual average values recommended by the WHO air quality guidelines. As shown by the latest data, the air in Poland is one of the most polluted compared to other European Union countries, taking into account the most harmful substances measured in the atmospheric air.
In 2017, Poland took the first place in the European Union in terms of exceeding the average annual concentration of benzo (a) pyrene in the air, 96%. zones in Poland subject to air quality protection in 2018 exceeded the permissible concentration of benzo (a) pyrene, and 85 percent. zones in Poland subject to air quality assessment in 2018 exceeded the permissible PM10 dust concentration. [2] The air condition in Poland leaves much to be desired.
We usually think of air pollution as something outside, but the air in homes, offices and other buildings can be even more polluted than the air outside. Biological pollutants such as mold, pollen, animal dander and dust mites, and household chemicals can cause breathing problems, allergy symptoms, or asthma attacks.
Household air pollution kills as many as four million people a year and tends to affect countries in Africa and Asia where polluting fuels and technologies are used every day, especially in the home for cooking, heating and lighting. Women and children who spend the most time indoors are most affected.
The impact of smog and air pollution on human health
One of the greatest scourges of our age is air pollution, not only because of its impact on climate change, but also for our health. Microscopic pollutants in the air can “slip” through our body’s defense mechanisms, penetrating deep into our respiratory and circulatory systems.
Unfortunately, everyone is exposed to air pollution, and both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution can cause various health problems, including allergic diseases, diseases of the respiratory system (asthma, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart attack or stroke. As much as 43 percent. premature deaths recorded in Poland in 2019 were caused by air pollution. [3]
Moreover, some people are more prone to air pollution. These are i.a. children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. [4] Air pollution is having a devastating effect on children. Worldwide, up to 14 percent. children between the ages of five and 18 suffer from environmental asthma, including air pollution. According to the data of the World Health Organization, each year 543 thousand. children under the age of five die of respiratory diseases related to air pollution. Air pollution is also associated with childhood cancers and cognitive impairment in both children and adults. [5]
Effective air purification from pollutants – what to pay attention to when choosing an air purifier?
We can reduce our exposure to air pollution by reducing the amount of time spent in areas with poor air quality, but what if we want to provide clean air to our family at home? The only effective solution is to buy an effective air purifier – SAMSUNG purifiers will be a good choice, e.g. model AX 47 or AX 60. What parameters should you pay attention to before buying? As Dominik Kempka, the trainer of Samsung Electronics Polska, points out, the air purifier should first of all be matched to the size of our apartment:
The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing an air purifier for your apartment is the size of the area for which it was intended. These markings can be easily checked on the label, and they are often included in the product name itself, as in the case of Samsung AX34, AX47 Cube, AX60 or AX90 air purifiers. In turn, the purifier’s efficiency is determined by the CADR coefficient, which determines the number of times the air is filtered in the room during 1 hour. Good quality cleaners should filter the entire surface at least 3 times within 1 hour.
You should not buy a device that is too large, assuming that it is enough for the entire apartment, because the purifier filters the air in one open space. In addition, the purifier too large in relation to the surface will cause excessive air movement, so it is better to use several devices with lower efficiency.
Thanks to a wide range of devices adapted to cleaning surfaces from 34 m² to 90 m², we can easily choose a model that will work in our interior. For larger spaces, the AX47 model will be perfect – the only modular purifier on the market that can be combined depending on the size of the space – a larger space (up to 94 m2) or two smaller rooms (up to 47 m2).
Other essential features of an effective air purifier include:
Effective protection against smog
Of course, the main feature of a good air purifier should be its efficiency. The quality of Samsung purifiers has been awarded the PTA certificate (the AX90R7080WD and AX60R5080WD models are recommended by the Polish Society of Allergology) and the National Institute of Public Health Certificate of the National Institute of Hygiene (all models), which means that they comply with current safety standards.
Samsung air purifiers work extremely effectively thanks to the use of three filters. The pre-filter stops e.g. dust and hair, the carbon filter eliminates dangerous gases and odors, and the HEPA filter removes up to 99,97% * of microscopic particles, such as: allergens, bacteria and mites, and catches smog particles PM1,0; PM2,5 and PM10. **
Nowadays, having an effective air purifier has become a necessity. This is especially important now, in the autumn and winter period, when the level of smog outside increases drastically (…) The air condition can change quite rapidly, so it is also important that the purifier immediately responds to these changes and automatically adjusts its settings. – Dominik Kempka, coach of Samsung Electronics Polska
SAMSUNG air purifiers monitor air quality in real time, detecting particles even smaller than 1,0 ㎛ and pollutants in the form of gases, and the display shows the exact level of pollution with PM1,0 / 2,5 / 10 fractions. What’s more, the AX47 air purifier is equipped with the unique Wind-Free ™ technology, which enables gentle and even distribution of clean air through nearly 60 micro-holes.
Simple and innovative operation
Simple and innovative operation are the main features of the SAMSUNG AX47 air purifier. Importantly, thanks to the SmartThings application, it is possible to remotely control the purifier via a smartphone ***, and with the help of touch or voice commands, you can turn the device on or off, check the air quality, control other functions and monitor the condition of the filter. **** The Cube AX47 purifier is also equipped with a filter replacement alert and a parental lock, thanks to which you can prevent accidental use of the purifier at any time.
Design
The SAMSUNG AX47 air purifier is also a modern, minimalist, and at the same time universal design that will fit into any room. The purifier is a stylish object made of real metal that will delight everyone not only with its original design, but also the possibility of stacking with another device of this type.
Find out more about SAMSUNG air purifiers at https://www.samsung.com/pl/campaign/oczyszczacze-powietrza/
* Based on 0,26 µm dust particle testing at the National Test Institute of Korea
** Tested on AX70J700WT / SC at KIMM (Korean Institute of Machines and Materials) for ammonia, acetaldehyde and acetic acid. Also tested at the Chinese Household Electrical Research Institute for formaldehyde, TVOC and benzene.
*** Available on devices with the Android and iOS operating system (Android from version 7.0 and iOS from version 10.0 from iPhone 6, iPad mini2 or newer). Wi-Fi connection and Samsung account required.
**** Voice control supported in 8 languages (British English, American English, Korean, Chinese, German, French, Spanish and Italian).