Summer pollution, how does the rise in temperatures affect us?

Summer is approaching with pleasant temperatures. And with the arrival of good weather, there also appears a harmful phenomenon that, too often, we do not realize. Summer pollution is a harmful effect that we experience in large cities and rural areas, of which we must be vigilant.

In summer, we not only have to try not to get sunburned and avoid skin cancer. But those who suffer from any respiratory problem must be alert to the rise in pollution, a fact that is usually much less taken into account than, for example, the degrees that the thermometer rises in the warmest months.

In Spain, the city with the most pollution problems is Madrid. For some time now, citizens have been warned, although there are days when it is not necessary to look up at the sky to see that there is a layer of gray fog that is nothing more than pollution. And although the levels of air pollution are much lower than in Asian or Latin American capitals, there are days when summer pollution exceeds the established limits.

The problem we may face in summer is due to an excess of pollution. What phenomenon occurs with the rise in temperatures? The tropospheric ozone pollution, which in common jargon is usually called bad ozone.

The heat acts as an activator of this tropospheric ozone, which is a gas produced by the atmospheric pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacturing of organic solvents.

This pollutant, however, also affects rural areas, especially on sunny spring and summer afternoons. On those days, high temperatures activate the formation of ozone at levels that are very dangerous to health, from the pollutants emitted by traffic, industry, and shipping transport.

When a harmful concentration of tropospheric ozone occurs, health risks arise, always depending on the concentration of ozone in the inhaled air and the time of exposure.

This bad ozone is a secondary pollutant that can irritate the eyes and the upper respiratory tract. It is also harmful to vegetation and can damage forests and crops.

Who is more sensitive to this summer pollution? People with chronic respiratory diseases like asthma or those suffering from obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, this tropospheric ozone is particularly harmful to children and the elderly, as well as to those who exercise outdoors.

How to protect yourself from pollution in summer

It is more complicated when a high ozone level is reached, from 180 to 240 grams per cubic meter. In these cases, sensitive populations and children should stay indoors, as well as refrain from outdoor sports. Beyond those values, it is the threshold considered very high, and there is already a danger to health.

In all cases related to the increase of summer pollution, it is necessary to create awareness in society and explain the dangers of pollution in people. That is why, indoors, we must also take into account that there are risks that threaten health, even though exposure is lower than outdoors.

Indoors, when we open the window to ventilate a room, we can allow pollutants to enter if there is pollution in the environment. On days of higher summer pollution, it is recommended not to open the windows and try to stay indoors.

The problem arises if there is no ventilation system that circulates air and introduces filtered air from the outside. For an improvement in breathing at home, mechanical double-flow ventilation systems are the best alternative for quality of life and comfort at home.

With a double-flow ventilation system, we can breathe filtered air from the outside in our home. This means that before entering our home, the air will pass through filters that will eliminate all harmful particles and the detrimental effects of summer pollution. By having clean air at home, we will sleep much better and gain in health.