Newsletter 14
Good morning ladies and gents,
In this newsletter you will find
- Indoor air quality information and recommendations
- NASA household approved houseplant list
- A link to hospitality meets – a light-hearted and insightful podcast
- A link to stunning photos that are available to purchase all monies go to charity
- Link to 5G newsletter ( please take a look for your own awareness)
Indoor air quality
I think the majority of us are aware that the outdoor air quality is not great due to our use and consumption of things such as Fossil fuel combustion, car and plane emissions, conversion of wood pulp to paper, manufacture of sulphuric acid, smelting and incineration of refuse.
Obviously this exposure is not good for our health. A 2018 study on climate change indicates that air quality is becoming an increased threat to human health. While the quality of outdoor air has been the focus of climate change discussion, indoor air quality is equally significant.
According to research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we spend 90 percent of our lives in indoor environments such as homes, schools, workplaces, gyms and vehicles.
The vast amount of time we spend inside buildings exposes us to a variety of indoor air pollutants, some of which are more harmful than outdoor air pollutants!
Indoor air quality is associated with immuno-compromise
We are indoors more than out, and our air quality can be quite poor, stressing the lungs, liver and immune system.
This can happen in any home or place of work, due to synthetic materials such as carpets, cleaning products, pressed furniture, incorrect ventilation, gas stoves, off-gassing of equipment, toxic mould, pesticides, artificial fragrances and unfortunately many more.
Signs of exposure may include:
- Headaches
- Eye irritation
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Muscle pain
- Rashes
- Sore throat
- Wheezing
- Nosebleeds
However do not panic as steps can be taken to improve your indoor air quality. The first step you should take to clean up your indoor air, whether in your home or workplace, is to eliminate sources of airborne pollutants.
Here are some key strategies for reducing sources of indoor air contaminants:
- Open windows and doors to let in fresh air.
- Make sure vents are open and cleaned regularly
- Utilise true HEPA filters
- Add some plants from the NASA approved household plants for removing air pollutants (see list below)
- Use only natural products for cleaning and deodorizing, and avoid synthetic fragrances
- Don’t use pesticides in your home or garden.
- Don’t burn paraffin candles. Use 100 % beeswax candles scented with essential oils instead.
- Avoid toxic household cleaning products such as aerosol sprays like Pledge or Febreze. Utilise the more eco friendly products such as Ecover
- Make your home a “no shoes zone” to limit the tracking of lead or pesticide-containing particles indoors.
- Prohibit smoking of any sort inside your home.
- Use low-VOC paint, varnishes, furniture, and fabrics in your home.
- Regularly replace the filters on central heating and cooling systems.
- Regularly clean your home with a HEPA vacuum and keep surfaces free of dust.
- Install a radon detector.
- Avoid upholstering your furniture or wearing permanent press fabrics.
- Maintain a relative home humidity of 30-50% to inhibit the growth of mould and other biological pollutants in your home. A dehumidifier will help you accomplish this. Be sure to empty the water-collecting reservoir of the dehumidifier regularly to prevent mould growth in the machine.
- Get the indoor air quality assessed by a home air quality testing company if you suspect that your indoor air quality is poor.
- Work with an indoor air specialist to remediate sources of indoor air pollution, including asbestos, mouldy and water-damaged areas, and lead-painted surfaces. Repair existing water leaks to prevent future water damage.
Household plants hold many benefits
The air cleaning capability of plants maintained within a closed living environment goes beyond simple removal of carbon dioxide and replacing it with clean oxygen.
House plants also have the remarkable ability to remove toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air. These chemicals can be a particular health hazard when spending long periods of times indoors.
NASA have researched the most beneficial household plants, I am listing the top ten here for you
- Peace Lilly
- English Ivy
- Floris Chrysanthemum
- Variegated Snake Plate
- Cornstalk Dracaena
- Red-edged Dracaena
- Broadleaf Lady Palm
- Flamingo Lilly
- Devils’ Ivy
- Lilyturf
Food Petition
Recent weeks have brought with them the sad inevitability of new trade deals, posing a disastrous threat for our farmers and our animals. Cheap meat imports are at risk of being sold in this country, with animal welfare and environmental standards vastly below what is deemed legal on our own home soils.
Our farmers, who are working towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, will be undercut by these low-welfare imports. A travesty for a modern British industry that is paving the way for farming standards across the world.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) have launched a petition to call for a ban on cheap meat imports making their way onto our supermarket shelves. The petition currently has over 1,000,000 signatures, let’s make the future of food British and back our British farmers.
Link to Hospitality Meets
https://hospitalitymeets.libsyn.com/
Hospitality Meets… is your weekly light-hearted look into the stories and journeys that make up the wonderful world of hospitality. Join founder and host Phil Street as he meets people from all walks of life from within the industry from the Chefs, the Hotel General Managers and Restaurant Managers to the Engineers, Designers and even Politicians. He’ll be showcasing the sheer diversity of opportunity that exists within hospitality, alongside some wonderful and often crazy stories of situations that occur along the way. Do join Phil for a laugh and some insight into one of the greatest industry on earth.
Link to Photography for charity
https://mariejordan58.picfair.com/
Link to 5g Newsletter
Hope you find some useful information in this newsletter.
Have a fun filled weekend.
Emma