Clean Air Day 2022

Clean Air Day is the UK’s largest campaign on air pollution, taking place on 16 June 2022.

Now in its sixth year, Clean Air Day helps to drive a positive shift in public knowledge and action; it is a chance to learn more about air pollution, share information, and make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone.

The theme for this year’s campaign is: “Air pollution dirties every organ in your body. Take steps to improve your health this Clean Air Day.”

Air pollution can harm every organ in the body, shorten lives, contribute to chronic illness, and put people at risk from COVID-19. When polluted air is breathed, it can inflame the lining of the lungs and move into our bloodstream, affecting every organ in the body. This can lead to lung disease, heart disease, dementia and strokes.

Indoor Air Quality Matters, yet not enough is being done to improve it.

Tips for improving air quality at home

• Refresh the air – getting fresh air in is key. As often as possible, open all your windows for as long as possible and let fresh air replace any CO2 buildup circulating in your home. This will also reduce the humidity, which leads to condensation and mould. If you live on the main road, try to do this when traffic is low and avoid rush hour.
• Careful what you clean with – since the start of the pandemic, our usage of chemical-based cleaning products has increased by 45%. Bleach and cleaning sprays can hang in the air and give off toxic chemicals, which are bad for our respiratory health. Switch to organic where you can and avoid candles which can give off high levels of particulate matter.
• Check your vacuum – older vacuum cleaners and those that aren’t certified as HEPA may actually be responsible for spraying dust particles into the air, rather than keeping them contained.
• Beware of dust buildup – dust mites live in the dust in your home and are one of the most common allergens. Refresh bedding frequently and maintain a clean, healthy home to keep them at bay.
• Out with the old – modern regulations in furniture manufacturing mean that newly produced furniture gives off fewer VOCs than older hand-me-downs. If thinking of upgrading and decorating at the same time, do your research into paints and carpets too as some can give off dangerous chemicals and fumes once in the home.
• Turn on your extract fans – it’s easy to forget to turn on the extract fan when cooking and bathing but these really help pull nasties out of the air in kitchens and bathrooms. Just be sure to check and clean the filters regularly – once a year should keep them in good working order.
• Invest in carbon guzzling plants – house plants like aloe vera, peace lilies, corn plants and ferns have been proven to reduce NO2 and CO2 in rooms by up to 20%.
• Invest in home ventilation – mechanical ventilation and carbon filtration systems can be installed to treat the air throughout the home and control the pollutants generated. These can cost the same as a premium air purifier but work to clean and filter the air throughout the entire house creating a safe haven for all inhabitants.