Air Quality
Air pollution can be a threat to our health. Many harmful air pollutants make it difficult for us to be able to Breathe Well.
Here are some important things you should know about healthier air at home:
- Make sure no one smokes indoors.
- Protect against radon, a leading cause of lung cancer.
- Make sure anything that burns gas, like a fireplace, stove, water heater or other appliance, is vented to the outdoors.
- Install and run exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom to keep humid air outside.
- Open windows and use extra exhaust fans when you're working with paints or chemicals indoors.
- Don't idle your car in an attached garage.
In the outdoors, pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores may be suspended as particles. A gas called ozone is a big part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's also called smog.
Some air pollutants are poisonous. Inhaling them can increase the chance you'll have health problems. People with heart or lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from air pollution.
Local Resources
- Learn what the City of Sioux Falls is doing to protect our environment.
Other Resources
- American Lung Association
- Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association