Perhaps being truly mindful of the energy consumption at each step is the only way we can combat pollution. Why, you ask? A group of researchers thinks that a simple act of making a breakfast toast can contribute to a high level of indoor air pollution.
The study that was carried out by a group of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder said that basic household tasks like boiling water or cooking your dinner or cleaning can leave your home as polluted as a major city.
“Homes have never been considered an important source of outdoor air pollution and the moment is right to start exploring that,” said Marina Vance, Assistant Professor at the varsity.
“Even the simple act of making toast raised particle levels far higher than expected,” she added.
For the purpose of the study, Vance and his team used advanced sensors and cameras to monitor the indoor air quality of a 1,200 square feet manufactured home. In a month’s time, they carried out a variety of daily household activities, including cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner. During the experiment, the measured indoor concentrations were high enough that their sensitive instruments needed to be recalibrated almost immediately.
According to them, there is a dire need for ventilation in homes because even basic tasks like boiling water over a stove top flame can contribute to high levels of gaseous air pollutants and suspended particulates, with negative health impacts.
Apart from the fumes these activities cause, even volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products such as shampoo, perfume, and cleaning solutions end up contributing to air pollution.
“We need to re-focus research efforts on these sources and give them the same attention we have given to fossil fuels. The picture that we have in our heads about the atmosphere should now include a house,” the researchers said.
While we’re unsure how this information is going to help, for now, we’re only concentrating on making mindful consumption of energy.
