With forest fires likely to increase in the coming years due to climate change, buying an air purifier would be a good investment for your health.
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“It’s a good idea to have an air purifier, but you have to make sure it has the HEPA label, so that it filters fine particles,” explains Éric Lavigne, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa School of Epidemiology and Public Health.
“You don’t need to pay $1,000 for a purifier, some are sold for a few hundred dollars with the HEPA label,” he adds.
However, he explains that it is necessary to look at the area covered by the instrument to ensure its effectiveness.
“We can easily move them and plug them in, so they can follow us in the living room during the day and in the bedroom at night,” he continues.
TCL
The Breeva 5 connected air purifier is notably equipped with the HEPA label.
While the air seems rather heavy, you should avoid opening your windows at all costs to try to cool the interior.
“We have to make sure that we don’t let the air in from the outside because the fine particles will enter very easily inside”, he maintains.
If you don’t have an air purifier, it is better to use the ventilation systems to circulate the air or use the air conditioning to keep the air fresh and clean, avoiding bringing in the polluted air from outside.
Masks
And when you go outside, the use of N95 masks is strongly recommended to protect yourself from particles that can create inflammation of the respiratory tract.
“In the case of very high pollution, we know that N95 is very effective in filtering particles. Other types of masks may offer a level of prevention, but it won’t be as strong,” he explains.
As for surgical masks, they do not offer very good protection due to the size of the fine particles, but they remain a small protection.
“It’s still a good option,” he concludes.