Noticing one of the colorful balls makes me think ask what will happen when I throw that one away? It looks like it should finally go into the garbage along with the other broken toys that remain in the corner of the yard year after year. Plastics that begin to shed are harmful to people, animals and the environment.

Plastic was discovered by a Belgian chemist who came to the United States in 1907 while he was looking for a substitute for shellac. This new chemical discovery gave freedom to the housewives of the 1950’s by adding disposable cutlery and plates to their shopping carts freeing women from household drudgery. But, by the late 1960’s warnings went out to the public of how the discarded plastics were causing havoc in the oceans, the mountains and just about everywhere else. The trouble is plastic does not get totally dissolved unless it’s burned and this is becoming not only a hazard to the natural habitats of the earth but to humans as well.

What are Microplastics and how are they formed?

That old backyard ball that I am throwing out will disintegrate until it becomes tiny colorful particles. When those particles shrink to less than 5mm or 0.2 inches they are called microplastics. The problem is that although you would think that being smaller is better that is not the case in relation to people and animals. When plastics erode into microplastics they enter not only the air and water but into fish, meat, vegetables and fruit and most significantly into the lungs of individuals.

There are several types of microplastics, primary, secondary and nano plastics. For this article we will call all three types, microplastics, Microplastics are smaller than secondary and bigger than nano, which are released from plastic based products such as clothes and fishing nets. Anything that is made from microfibers when washed will discharge tiny particles into the environment. Fancy cosmetic soaps such as body scrubs and beads which have tiny particles to remove dry skin are made with microplastics.

Why Are Microplastics so Lethal?

Although microplastics have been known about for a while, it is only lately that they are being researched since most of the plastic research that has been done has been on larger pieces such as plastic bags in the oceans. These tiny particles are more harmful to humans since no human being will ingest a plastic bag willingly. On the other hand, microplastics are found in the organs of humans such as the heart, brain, stomach and even placentas that have been studied after they are delivered along with a fresh new apparently healthy baby. Once the baby is born the seemingly healthier way to feed it is breastfeeding, yet this harmful plastic is found in the breast milk and in the baby’s first dirty diaper.

A pediatrician of infectious diseases, Dr. Desiree LaBeaud, claims that “plastic never goes away” it just gets smaller and smaller until it is categorized as microplastics. It’s hard to believe but microplastics have been found to be present in tea bags and bottled water which are ingested by people who are concerned with their health. By drinking herbal teas and bottled water you would think that these drinks would be good for their wellbeing. Until now microplastics have been found in over one thousand species including humans. Plastics just don’t go away.

Children who are still growing are even more at risk than adults. According to Dr. Kara Meister, a children’s ENT, thyroid cancer has become more common, so she decided to do some research herself to see why this was happening. One common operation, tonsillectomy, has become popular once again and after performing this procedure Dr. Meister decided to check out the tonsils after removal. To her chagrin not only did she find traces of microplastics and the surface of the tonsils but also deeper. In fact, horrifically when checking the tonsils under a microscope she found specks of Teflon. Studies of the dangers of microplastics in humans are just beginning but Dr. Meister predicts that in a year or two there will be published studies to see how hazardous these tiny particles are to children.

Can the Presence of Microplastics be Tested?

There are already mail in kits such as Million Marker (developed by environmental health scientist Jenna Hua) which screens the urine for traces of microplastics. Another testing kit made by Bryan Johnson called Blueprint, screens through a blood test.

There is a microscope called a Micro-Raman that can detect specks of plastic under one micrometer but unfortunately this is not for home use. We can decrease the amount of microplastics that can build up over time in our homes by buying natural materials instead of synthetics for couches, chairs and clothing such as cotton and wool. If you do have plastic items in your home, try to keep them clean and out of direct sunlight. If you see that your plastic toys are starting to peel it is time to replace them. My grandson will be disappointed when spring comes, and his favorite-colored ball is missing. I hope to find a similar one to replace it.

Can Microplastics Cause Climate Change?

Since they are so tiny microplastics can slip through even the finest filters. Their size is their strength and even if you have the best HVAC filters you will not know unless you test the people in your household to know how well the filters are working. Studies have shown that these microscopic specks of plastic are constantly flowing in the air around us whether it’s indoors or out. We worry about regulations of emissions from older vehicles and the government makes sure to update their emission laws for new vehicles. When vehicles drive at high speeds their tires no matter how high the quality will spin and cause microplastics to go up into the atmosphere.

According to Swiss Chemist Denise Mitrano, microplastics are able to change cloud patterns, by altering the cloud’s temperature and rain trends. When ice or water compresses on tiny pieces of dust, soot, and other pollutants, clouds form. These tiny specks are also called aerosols which can have a negative impact on how we view the sunset, the clouds and most critically the air quality.

The fact that microplastics can actually seed clouds came as a surprise to chemists who did not realize that the sludge in the air came from microplastics. The reason they were taken aback is the plastic is designed to repel water, and it would not be feasible that they could seed the droplets from clouds. They also believed that plastic problems were more prevalent on the land and sea than in the air. This holds true for clean and new plastic beads and other objects that have recently been manufactured. However, when plastic fly’s high into the sky it merges with different specks along the way such as salt. Once the plastic aerosols have aged or changed in their makeup, they are more likely to cling to water and clouds.

Interestingly, there are two types of clouds, low and high, which are both affected by microplastics. If “the light as air” clouds gain weight from the pollution of the microplastics they could increase or decrease the amount of rain that the clouds produce. For example, polluted clouds last longer and start raining down later but cause heavier rain than less polluted clouds.

Final Words

Our president has recently signed an order bringing back plastic straws to replace the poorly accepted paper ones. Our supermarkets have begun to give out free disposable plastic bags again after a couple of years of charging for them. Plastic bags and items that are larger are easier to tackle to prevent animals and fish from eating them. Now a new and dangerous pollutant has taken the scientific community by surprise, microplastics. These are harmful when inhaled and the problem is they are too tiny to see with the naked eye. You may have them in your home and not even know them unless someone has severe symptoms, and you opt for a professional testing service. These tests are relatively new but are showing promise.

Our environmental professionals have tackled air quality problems in the past, ranging from smoke from raging fires to vehicle air pollution. The government has come up with regulations to reduce vehicle emissions. Hybrid and electric cars are leading the way for improvement in air quality. Now scientists are telling us that rain clouds are affected by microplastics altering clouds and rainfall paths. We all must try our best to keep the air quality in and out of our homes satisfactory; at least when we can control it.

Over 12,000 homes have been destroyed in the last two weeks with at least 25 people dying and some still missing due to these unbeatable fires. Along with the physical and human destruction is the toxic smoke that is hanging over all of Los Angeles jeopardizing the health of its inhabitants. Unlike earthquakes and hurricanes, these infernos are caused by human participation such as poorly controlled power lines, water maintenance and shabbily (lack of) management of overgrown forests, poor fire management and criminal arson that still takes place in various venues. The Governor of California soon after taking office in 2019 had agreed to put away over $1 billion dollars to prevent wildfires from happening in his state. He was supposed to have 90,000 acres of brush cleared but only 11,399 acres were actually cleared.

Congressman Tom McClintock from California noted that Santa Ana winds are causing fires annually and this is nothing new to the West Coast. By removing the overabundance of timbers regularly and renting those fields to cattle rangers they were able to control the fires.

During the eighteen hundreds, raging fires were a public problem but by the end of the twentieth century the government of California put into effect programs of fire prevention and land management that reduced occurrences by a substantial amount.

Water Maintenance

I don’t know about you but I have never heard of a fish called the Delta smelt. According to certain political groups this fish species is being blamed for the Los Angeles wildfires. How so? You ask, Certain groups are concerned about this endangered species of fish and will not allow excessive amounts of water to be pumped out of the fish’s home which is in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Governor Newson of California may have had good intentions for this tiny fish called smelt but not at the price of the lives of people and the destruction of their homes because of the lack of water circulating in fire hydrants. To keep the fish in enough water to survive the Governor sacrificed the people and properties of his state. “This is the fish Gavin Newson burned California down in order to save”, is a quote from Republican Roger Stone.

Millions of gallons of water could not be routed to the dry and burning areas of Los Angeles because the Delta smelt fish would not have the right environment to survive. Critics of Newson claim he could have had the water reservoirs filled to normal capacity if he would not have been influenced by those conservationists. Other pro Newson people claim that the reservoirs were adequately filled but that does not explain why the fire hydrants were empty. Critics claim that the water pipes of the Los Angeles fire system need to be renovated and enlarged. Even though the municipality sent water trucks when the hydrants ran dry it was not fast enough to control the spreading of the fires.

Lack of Management of Overgrown Forests

When Governor Newson took office in 2019, he pledged to assign over a billion dollars for the prevention of wildfires after the catastrophic fires of 2018. Two years later in 2021 the public found out that he did not use all that money he allocated for brush clearing initiatives and cleared only 11,399 acres instead of the 90,000 he claimed were cleared. Conservationists unfortunately were against the clearing of trees and bushes to prevent forest fires because they did not want any natural resources destroyed.

Poor Fire Management

The Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass recently reduced the fire department’s budget by $17.6 million in spite of the head of the fire department’s warning that there would be insufficient protection to fight large fires if G-D forbid they would occur. With all types of court lawsuits by private individuals stemming from insufficient street lighting, broken sidewalks as well as lawsuits against the police department caused the mayor to cut the fire department budget so that she would not have to declare a fiscal state of emergency. She also was obligated to increase city employees’ wages since she increased the minimum wage for city employees from $20 to $25 causing a major budget crisis.

Not only was the Mayor of Los Angeles at fault but much of the blame goes to the Governor of the state of California, Gavin Newson, who had no answers to basic questions on the lack of water to put out the fires. These fires engulfed luxury homes in the Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods of Los Angeles completely destroying huge homes. One reason that was given was when the fire engines finally got near these properties and attached their fire hoses to the fire hydrants there was no water coming out.

Poorly Controlled Power Lines

Actually several years before these raging fires the town of Paradise in Northern California was destroyed by fires because of poorly maintained power lines. Their power company, Pacific and Electric Company, could not maintain their power lines and when the power lines failed fire erupted due to not only the failure of the power company but due to the powerful Santa Ana winds which were again blowing during this month’s fires. The 2018 fire killed 85 people and destroyed over 18,000 properties.

Climate Change

Yes, each and every time there is an environmental emergency it is blamed on climate change by conservationists. They advocate leaving the forests to their natural growth instead of removing the access brush that the government used to do before the liberals took over the government. Builders acquired properties in those dangerous areas and developed housing without the removal of access brush.

I doubt if anyone in the east has heard of this new phrase, “hydroclimate whiplash” which assigns the blame for the wildfires to climate change. They put none of the blame on the government’s lack of adequate water supply, forest supervision and elimination of access growth. Instead, they recall the wet California winters of 2023 and 2024 blaming the rain for the excessive growth of vegetation. Then came the recent dry spell to which this new vegetation fueled the wildfires. These activists completely ignore the fact that there was a severe water shortage and put up their hands as if there is nothing to be done, it’s all the fault of climate change.

Final Words

We have been writing about the tragic rampant wildfires in Los Angeles and the vicinity. We are all trying to find out how it happened and how it can be prevented in the future. But, what about the present? People are suffering in so many ways, emotionally, physically and financially. We don’t know at this time how many homes had adequate insurance or if their insurance companies can pay for multimillion-dollar homes to be rebuilt. Families are stranded with little to wear and if they are lucky enough, they have relatives or friends who can put them up.

In spite of financial worries, what about the health of the citizens of Los Angeles? How is their health impacted by the horrible air quality in the city that already has a problem with smog? The windblown ash that is in the air is too large to be identified by the regular air quality monitors. This windblown ash contains air toxins that cannot be adequately monitored. Monitoring agencies are advising people to reduce their exposure to inferior air quality but for those people who don’t have any homes how are they able to limit exposure? While the high winds continue to carry this ash from place-to-place folks and their children are breathing in the windblown ash. What will be the future consequences from these raging fires on the health of the citizens of Southern California?

The holiday gift giving season is coming up and it’s always lots of fun to wrap the presents in unusual ways such as wrapping a small gift in a large box or in box after box until the receiver can’t wait to see what their present is. Yes, wrapping usually gives us a positive warm feeling but there’s another wrapped item that although warm is far from a favorable gift. In fact, the innocent white wrapping is the only good thing about this health hazard, the cigarette.

Tobacco smoking has been around for thousands of years in different forms ranging from pipes, cigars, cigarettes and any other device from which an individual can inhale harmful tobacco. Cigarettes are addictive and are worse than other addictions such as alcohol, illicit drugs and pills in a distinctive way and that is when a person drinks at home and doesn’t drive, he is technically only harming himself. It’s true that alcohol addiction takes hold and can destroy an entire family emotionally. Drugs taken through injection, inhalation and by mouth get into a person’s bloodstream causing havoc and destruction to the addict. Again, if the addict is at home he is only harming himself directly.

Cigarette smoking, although perfectly legal, harms anyone who is in the vicinity of the smoker even if the other people in the room have never taken a puff. This is called secondhand smoke and innocent people get sick and even die from inhaling secondhand smoke. Most restaurants, airlines and indoor public places have laws and signs in place forbidding smoking in those areas. However, a chain smoker may light up in his or her home and nobody will come to arrest them or give them a summons and there the danger lies, for the family, friends and anyone else who is in the vicinity of the smoker.

Going back in time to classic movies and books, lighting up a cigarette or pipe was socially correct behavior. Just as today someone might take the cap off a water bottle or offer a Coke to a friend, cigarettes were considered the social norm. In 1902 a popular book came out geared not only to adults but to children as well about the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. On the cover of the book is a shadow of this famous detective sitting smoking his pipe.

According to a survey in the Netherlands in the 1950’s, almost 90% of males from twenty to sixty years old smoked. That means that nine out of ten men smoked during that time frame. (Compared to the next seventy years after that when the amount was reduced to 20-30% of men in that same age group who smoked.)

Although there were rumblings of the dangers of tobacco smoking in the 1950’s, it wasn’t until 1964 that the Surgeon General of the United States made it official. If you’re an old movie buff, you will notice that lighting up a cigarette was a social norm comparable to having a drink at a cocktail party. Ladies would take out their own or be given a cigarette by a man, put it in her mouth and her male companion would light it. Blowing out smoke was cool, romantic and relaxing. Unlike whiskey drinking which was banned at the beginning of the twentieth century, folks did not think there was anything unhealthy about smoking cigarettes. Even though there were some rubbings in the 1930’s of the dangers of cigarettes, the tobacco companies had on hand lots of doctors to refute those charges. Doctors were hired in the 1940’s to encourage smoking in cigarette ads. For example, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” (1946) was one such an ad. In addition, if you wanted to be manly you would be smoking Camel as opposed to those less masculine cigarettes that had filters to take away some of the bad nicotine from entering the lungs. Ads such as, “the Marlboro man” provoked men to smoke that brand to be attractive to women.

As the decades passed and the 1960’s began, doctors and researchers were convinced that cigarette smoking was dangerous. It took many more years to persuade the general public of this threat to their health. The 1964 proclamation by the Surgeon General that smoking caused not only bronchitis, but cancer was a hard sell in the beginning. Eventually the perils of smoking caught on due to numerous ads, some with celebrities who were dying of cancer begging people to stop smoking. Even now, as people continue to smoke, the dangers are written clearly on the label and one reason this was instituted is because the cigarette companies were being sued by sick smokers.

Involuntary / Passive / Secondhand Smoking

Roommates, wives and even parents can be tolerant of their friends and relatives who smoke. They realize that smoking is a habit and unless the smoker is serious about stopping there is little their loved ones can do. Disaster can strike those innocent endearers when a dreaded diagnosis of cancer is related to them unexpectedly. “How could this happen?”, they wonder, “I’m not a smoker!” Yet time and time again companions of smokers are struck with sicknesses from secondhand smoke.

Since smokers today understand that smoking is dangerous for anyone who is in the vicinity of the smoker, they will try to go outdoors or in workplace hallways to smoke. Many businesses will have warnings about smoking in offices, so those smokers have no choice but to go out to smoke. Yet, there are still many people who ignore the warnings on the cigarette package label and will continue to smoke in their homes. When the smoker is living in an apartment the area is even smaller than a house and the chemicals are more concentrated and present a hazard to anyone in the vicinity of the smoker.

Whoever inhales the smoke, whether it’s the smoker or his companions, is breathing in harmful chemicals such as nicotine. The smoker inhales mainstream smoke, and the companions inhale secondhand smoke. Although the smoker gets his nicotine and other of seven thousand chemicals his companions are getting the same. Besides lung cancer, secondhand smoke inhalers are in danger of additional cancers such breast, throat and larynx cancer. Even if they are fortunate not to come down with cancer, they can most likely still have trouble with their nasal sinuses which makes it difficult for them to breathe and smell. Asthma is a common condition that wives of smokers suffer from and sometimes this can be fatal. No one wants to be responsible for their loved ones dying because of their bad habit.

During pregnancy both the baby and the mother can suffer severe side effects such as early birth, lower birth weight and lung issues. A woman who is exposed to secondhand smoke may have more difficulty getting pregnant and will go to a fertility specialist. The fertility specialist may ask the woman if she smokes but she may not mention that her husband does. Why should she go through all kinds of difficult treatments if her infertility could be prevented? If she or her husband are smokers at least let them desist while she is pregnant.

Indoor Air Quality is Compromised by Secondhand Smoke

Most offices and workplaces do not allow smoking in their chambers but do allow people to smoke in specially designated areas. Although the air in the buildings is ventilated and purified this does not ensure that workers are not exposed to the smoke. This is due to the fact that the ventilation systems cannot work fast enough to get the smoke out of the air.

Thirdhand Smoke Exposure Symptoms

One person in the house smokes and opens the windows to air out the room. Even if the air quality is improved by the fresh air coming from the outside the secondhand smoke has already done its damage. Carpets and upholstery already have the smoke particles ingrained in them and also mix with regular dust on the windowsills. When children and babies play on the floor they are exposed to the smoke particles in the carpet. If they are still at the age of putting their fingers in their mouths, they are actually consuming this harmful dust. Even if the homeowner is an avid cleaner and duster, once the vacuum stops the left-over dust settles all over again.

Final Words

A smoker must realize that he is not only endangering himself when he lights up but his family and coworkers as well. Even if he smokes outdoors the smoke sticks to his clothing and when he comes home from work and hugs his kids, he puts their health at risk. Although smoking is not as popular as it was seventy-five years ago, once the habit is made it is quite difficult to quit. Now that we are aware of how harmful secondhand smoke is, it is incumbent on responsible adults to take the right action. There are so many complaints about outdoor air pollution but poor indoor air quality due to secondhand smoke is a problem easily rectified.

Before we even get into specifics about new ideas, ways and products to keep our laundry green, here are a few simple ideas that I have been implementing for years before the definition of green extended to conservation.

1: Conserving electrical energy by making sure you do not extend the length of your dryer cycle unnecessarily. For example, if you have synthetics or “clean” laundry such as sheets and duvet cover there is no need to completely dry these items. Tights and sweaters need a light tumble and then can be put on the clothesline or on hangers to finish drying.

If you do not have a separate laundry room or do not have extra space for drying stands there are several places in the home that will be satisfactory fill-ins. For example, if you have a staircase leading up to your second floor with a landing, the second-floor railings can sometimes fit the duvet covers. When you don’t overdry those duvet covers you will realize that they will not need that much ironing and if they are a mix of poly and cotton then they naturally will not need any ironing.

Another most important subject is to make sure your dryer’s lint trap is absolutely clear of lint before turning on the clothes dryer. Even if your prior load consisted of lint free items such as clothes made from microfiber or poly, you must still check for lint. Make it an absolute by cleaning the lint trap after each load. Sometimes you may have to take your vacuum cleaner with a thin part attached and place it in the lint trap hole to get out the lint that did not cling to the lint trap. In some instances, you may have to look for lint in the back of the dryer as well as in the hose leading to the outside of the house.

2: Another important idea to implement is to ignore the amount of detergent instructed on the outside of your laundry detergent. Many people today don’t bother with dry or liquid laundry detergent and use pods which are premeasured. If you are from the old school and still use regular laundry detergent, you can decrease the amount you use substantially. Not only will this save you money, but it will also save your clothes and linens from getting spoiled. Linens just need a freshening up and a clean scent when they are replaced on the beds. There is no need to fill the accompanying laundry detergent cup to the level that is recommended by the detergent manufacturer. This will also decrease allergic reactions to laundry detergents.

3: We all love soft towels and undershirts but as many of us already know fabric softeners are not good for the dryer nor for our clothes and towels. Fabric sheets are generally discouraged even though the smell is heavenly (except for those who have allergies). Dryer sheets contain toxic chemicals such as styrene and toluene which can cause cancer. You probably have not heard of these chemicals which are also called neurotoxins. Besides being toxic, fabric softener sheets shorten the life cycle of your clothes and towels by actually breaking down the fibers while softening them.

A better idea than fabric softeners is to try adding a cup of vinegar to soften up your laundry by lowering the PH from the laundry detergent which is about 9. Vinegar has a pH of 2.4 so it will be able to get the soap out of the fabric and leave the laundry fluffier.

4: Avoid the use of chlorine bleach when possible. Besides being hazardous to young children, chlorine bleach contains organochlorines which are possible cancer-causing chemicals. They take decades to break down when exposed to the air.

What is Wrong with Standard Laundry Performances?

Regular laundry cycles waste energy. Most laundry does not have to be washed in hot water, which increases the use of electricity. Shorter cycles cut down on the use of water in the washing machine and reducing the frequency of washing certain items such towels and linens helps conserve energy as well. By sorting out the different types of laundry items such as sheets and duvet covers separately from towels will not only protect your items but will decrease the deposits to landfills.

How are Laundromats Using Eco-Friendly Practices?

By using eco-friendly products such as appliances and detergents laundromats are making it easier for their customers to transfer over to the green side of washing and drying. Green laundromats are encouraging their customers to use laundry detergents that are made without dangerous chemicals such as phosphates. According to one laundromat owner seventy percent of his customers are using detergents such as All Free and Clear instead of the traditional supermarket brands. They are not missing synthetic fragrances that are unhealthy and do not increase the cleanliness of their clothes.

Appliance manufacturers are finding new ways to make their washers and clothes dryers more energy efficient. For example, the adding of more insulation around the interior of the dryer will  help dry the clothes faster and the damage to the clothes from the dryer heat will be noticeably less. By recycling water systems, the water depletion is less. Motors that are faster can get the clothes dried much faster than their older counterparts making the cycles distinctly shorter in duration. For colored clothing it is always best to use cold water and not only does this decrease the need for the washer to heat up the water but the colors of the clothes stay vibrant longer.

Another revolutionary idea which will certainly take getting used to is that washing machine manufacturers are offering a water recovery tank which reuses water from a previous rinsing cycle in the next new washing cycle. This saves laundromat owners money on water prices. This might work if the same party is using the machine but for a stranger to be using someone else’s rinse water sounds strange and unsanitary, yet because of the high price of water in suburban areas especially with the drought this summer, laundromat owners may be forced to investigate this new idea.

Spin cycles have become tighter which means the clothes will be less damp as they are placed in the clothes dryer. With hotter temperatures and more insulation, the clothes dryer will need less time to dry the clothes.

Owners of laundromats are also finding other ways to go green such as updating their HVAC systems and making them more efficient. Just as they check the lint traps and hoses often too, they should be checking the filters of their HVAC systems.

The power of ozone is another new addition to state-of-the-art laundromats. A special machine hanging on the wall expels ozone just at the right time in the wash cycle. There is a blue LED light that goes on to show the customer that the ozone is working, sanitizing the laundry before the end of the cycle. Ozone is part of the natural rain system, and we know it as the clean smell after a rainstorm. Just as it cleans the air outdoors it does the same to the inside of the washing machine and attaches to dirt and germs eliminating them before you remove your laundry. When using the addition of ozone at the end of the cycle cold water must be used and the need for soap decreases. This helps the ozone work and is green friendly. Ozone eliminates mold and mildew as well as odors and is safe for any fabric color or white. In fact, one of the great advantages of ozone is that it disinfects the laundromat’s washing machine for the next customer.

Final Words

For those folks who are skeptical about going green in their laundry room or when stepping out to the laundromat there are advantages not only for the environment but for your laundry itself. By using less soap and cold water, your clothes, linens and towels will last longer. By trying to wash a bit less (using a towel twice instead of only once) you will prevent the shrinking, fading and shredding of items that are dear to you. Although we might still be holding out against the green campaign in the environment when it helps keep the cost down and the quality of our garments up it’s a win-win situation for us all.

However, I am quite taken aback by the recent drought that is taking place in the Northeastern United States as well as most of the other states of the union. There has not been such a devastating drought for twenty-two years in our region and every day the danger increases. With winds gusting and fires being spread by them we are in peril of replicating those catastrophic fires taking place annually in California.

The beautiful weather we have been having this fall (and it is already late November) is reminiscent of the climate of California. There is an old song called, “It Never Rains in Sunny California” might be in praise of the climate out west but in our vicinity this California-like weather is just plain dangerous.

Most of us here in the east have shut off our sprinkling systems and are waiting to close our central air conditioners as well. But, with temperatures staying warm those air conditioners are certainly working overtime. This causes a strain on the various components of the HVAC system such as condensers, compressors and fans. With breakdowns increasing, frustration by homeowners is at a high when their HVAC technicians fail to return their calls. Since this is the case more technicians are necessary, and this could be a potential career choice for those.

What is Climate Change?

Climate change devotees state that greenhouse gas emissions are the cause of extreme weather all over the world. Included in these threats are floods, hurricanes, heatwaves. and the present worry, droughts. These weather conditions cannot be controlled and often are unexpected. The experienced weathermen in our country’s newsrooms will advise us about hurricanes but we never really know exactly where they will hit and how hard and hazardous they will end up. The expression, “any way the wind blows” is quite appropriate for the topic of hurricanes which have devastated southern states this summer although sometimes the wind direction changes, and the prediction of devastation (thank G-D) does not come to fruition. Because of this unpredictability citizens in endangered communities do not always listen to evacuation warnings, which is what happened this summer when folks were trapped in their homes as the hurricanes hit their communities.

What are Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

There are several gases responsible for dangerous emissions such as methane and nitrous oxide but the most highly focused is carbon dioxide which is produced by factories and burning fossil fuels. The term, warming potential is used to explain which gasses are the most significant in causing climate change. Although most folks identify carbon dioxide as the culprit it is actually methane that has twenty-eight times the warming potential compared to carbon dioxide. However, what is worse about carbon dioxide is that it stays in the atmosphere much longer than methane, with methane lasting about twelve years and carbon dioxide lasting for centuries! Methane although short lived causes more global warming than carbon dioxide so by reducing methane emissions warming will lessen.

How is Methane Produced?

1: By decomposition of waste in landfills.

2: Wet rice paddy fields produce microbes in a process called methanogenesis.

3: Cattle produce methane through enteric fermentation. (As the animal digests its food microbes in their digestive tract break up, fermenting the food. Methane is then produced as a by-product.)

4: When oil and gas are retrieved methane is produced.

5: When agricultural waste is burned incompletely.

How Does a Drought Affect the Workings of the HVAC System?

When warm weather doesn’t stop when it’s supposed to, how is your HVAC going to react? It’s easy to accommodate the house the HVAC is servicing when the weather is normal for a November day. You usually would not even have to turn on your central air conditioner nor your heating system so this time of the year would be a time for a system to take a deep breath anticipating the cold weather yet to come. It’s also a good time to have it checked before you put it to sleep for the winter. This is the story in normal weather but in a drought and extreme weather conditions all the variables are not normal.

Since gusty winds are blowing on the trees, most have shed their leaves onto your lawn. But is that the only place those dry leaves find themselves? Absolutely not! Some of them inevitably get blown into your air conditioner in your backyard or the side of the house. If you are fortunate enough to have a regular gardener, he is busy raking the leaves and putting them on his truck to dispose of. But who is keeping track of those stray leaves finding their way into the openings of your air conditioner? Sometimes they get so deeply embedded you can’t remove them.

During a heatwave your AC is on more often and there is a chance that it will overheat. Motors and other parts will wear out faster when they are overloaded. Even if you have a relatively new unit, extreme weather can cause havoc. Indoor air quality can decrease because high temperatures outdoors may make it difficult to maintain comfortable humidity levels causing health concerns to sensitive individuals.

The best scenario is to anticipate such a moment as stated above. Make sure your leaves are removed from your property often and that means not only when the gardener comes once a week or month. If there were regular rainfall, gravity from the water would saturate the leaves keeping them on the ground. But with no rain coming the leaves are dry and easy for a gentle wind to blow them into your compressor. Then, when the winter finally arrives (and it will) those leaves are hidden away until the spring when you notice your AC is not working optimally.

Crispy autumn leaves are fun for kids to jump and roll on and their teacher will be happy with the variety that your child has chosen to bring to school for arts and crafts. However, those squishy leaves are not only fire hazards but HVAC hazards as well.

How Does Heavy Rain Affect the HVAC System?

A good HVAC system is built to accept brash weather conditions but when there is serious flooding from heavy rainfall damage to your HVAC is likely. Areas such as California where the air is salty can cause corrosion to the components made from metal. Humidity is detrimental to your HVAC system so it can be a problem when moisture gets impaled inside. If you discover that a lot of water is present in your outdoor HVAC unit the first thing to do is to turn it off immediately. So many bad things can happen if you neglect to turn it off such as electrical problems and mold formation. The sad truth is that you may not realize there is an electrical problem until the spring when you attempt to turn your AC on, and it is dead. A good idea would be to install surge protectors for times of lightning during storms.

Covering your unit when it is off may be a good choice for some climates but if there is rain and humidity in your area then wetness can accumulate inside the cover causing condensation that can lead to disintegration of the unit parts. It would also help keep your unit in good working order by having the right drainage around the HVAC unit. This prevents water buildup from storms and snow.

Final Words

No one, not even our sacred weathermen can accurately predict the weather. We have learned these past few months that nothing is for sure, not even rain. Although we had the most beautiful California style weather this autumn, we are paying a hefty price for the sun and blue skies.

Extreme weather takes a toll on your HVAC system, and it is imperative to have it serviced regularly even with that said we must check out for loose twigs and dried leaves that can obstruct a HVAC system from working properly and efficiently. If you notice that your compressor is bogged down by debris, then it would certainly be advisable to call in a reliable technician to get your system ready for the winter. That way when the warm weather appears you will have a system working and not have to call your serviceman when he is up to his neck in service calls.

After having a range of extreme weather, it is vital to check on your AC units for any water damage or debris. In regions known for extreme weather conditions it’s a wise idea to have a total service contract with a yearly or bi yearly maintenance check and also establishing a shiny personal relationship with your HVAC tech. This connection will assure you that he will come when you call. A nice compliment of appreciation, a cold-water bottle and a couple of snacks will establish a friendship that will endure. Then when you call your serviceman, he will not deny your request and say that he has an emergency. Instead, you will be that emergency that others have to wait on.

To wake up repeatedly to the same beautiful weather day after day, week after week could lull a person into thinking we are living in a paradise. No rain, slight breezes, temperatures between sixty and seventy degrees, and crunchy leaves on the ground all lead to a formula for a perfect fall. Some say it has to do with climate change, global warming and such beliefs and I truly wish we could just thank the one above for giving us such wonderful weather to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family.

However, all is not well here in the northeastern side of America. Here on Long Island where we live, we are near the beach and have access to plenty of water and the grass is still a summery green. So, a few weeks ago the term drought would never enter our lexicon. Unfortunately, drought is the new reality with red alerts coming up on the phone along with the forecast of partly sunny, light breezes and low humidity.

Watery eyes and sneezing are not necessarily signs of typical hay fever allergy prevalent at this time of year. Walking out of the house in the morning on the way to work, while we are appreciating and admiring the sunny and warm weather we are also greeted by the smell of smoke. Thank goodness we have not experienced direct hits of drought induced fires but they are close enough in New Jersey and other adjacent venues for us to realize that it could happen close to home.

What Causes Drought?

The absence of rain or snow is not the entire definition of drought. The lack of precipitation has to be accompanied by unusually high temperatures and low humidity. In the summer hot temperatures are often combined with high humidity making it hard to enjoy the fresh air but the high humidity protects us from fires due to high temperatures. The lack of rain, rising temperatures and low humidity are the ingredients necessary for drought conditions.

Drought All Over Our Country

Excluding Kentucky and Alaska, the whole United States has experienced drought conditions since the last week of October. According to the New York Times, this October has been recorded as the driest since rain levels record keeping began in 1869, and citizens of the affected cities have been asked to voluntarily conserve water. The last time there was a really healthy rain downpour in the Northeast was in late September.

New Jersey has been plagued with fires which the firefighters are finding impossible to keep at bay because as soon as the firefighters successfully extinguish the flames in one area fires pop up somewhere else. According to AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Douty, the drought torn areas would need as much as seven inches of rain to dispel this dry spell, and forecasters have not predicted that much rain. There was a sprinkling of rain called, “wetting rain” which does help firefighters to extinguish the many fires that were burning in the parks around the cities but one tenth of an inch measured is not enough to cancel the drought. We need lots more rain to dispel this extreme drought.

People may wonder why the rain that fell during Hurricane Helene would not have helped ease the drought in the affected states. During a hurricane the deluge will make it harder for the ground to soak up the water to store it for the future. Our reservoirs are currently below two thirds capacity, which is in stark contrast to the normal autumn range of three- quarters full.

What is the Definition of Extreme Weather?

Any severe weather conditions that differentiate from normal climate models are called extreme. People who believe in climate change blame it on extreme weather patterns such as floods, heatwaves, severe storms and hurricanes. They believe that due to climate change temperatures can rise significantly in places such as Arizona causing a rise in temperatures.

Heatwaves put a lot of pressure on HVAC systems by making them work harder than they might be manufactured to operate with longer hours and higher energy use. Extreme weather can mean different things in different regions, and different times of the year.

For a country, state or city that’s been having lots of rainfall a drought could not affect them negatively. A short heatwave in a cold climate may be a blessing for those people who hate cold weather. However, flooding, hurricanes and fires are not welcomed by any climate or region. No one wants a hurricane but certain states such as Florida are more equipped to handle such extreme weather developments. Most Floridian homes have special shutters, hurricane proof windows and many homes do not have basements, so flooding is decreased. Even so, no one wants hurricanes coming to their area, especially the devastating ones we experienced this summer.

Red Flag Warning, Gusty Winds and Fires

It’s such a beautiful evening and since it’s still early you agree to take your four-year-old son for a walk around the neighborhood. Being the big strong guy that you are you easily flip your son onto your shoulders and head out the front door. Immediately, your eyes start to burn and your son remarks about the strong smell of smoke wondering if someone is having a barbeque in mid-November. You recall reading about wildfires in California, but you have not heard about any in your New York suburban neighborhood.

Your son is excited because there are so many fallen leaves and the ground, and he begins stepping strongly on them remarking how these leaves are the crunchiest leaves he has even stepped on in his short life. With the gardener not coming more than once a week even a normal wind can blow those dry leaves off the trees easily. Your son is having a ball and remarks that he remembers last year the leaves were soft and hardly made any noise as he stepped on them. This of course was due to a normal amount of rain which keeps the leaves moist and fire resistant. With no substantial rainfall the leaves just get crispier and crispier.

As your eyes start burning you shorten your walk to the disappointment of your son who has begun coughing. He does have a touch of asthma, but it has not stirred for many months. As you enter your house you hear the phone ringing and catch it before it goes to voicemail. It’s your brother in New Jersey calling to tell you about the string of recent wildfires in his usually quiet neighborhood.

Blazing gusts of winds propel the fires to expand their damage from one area to the next. It could be an open field, a park or someone’s backyard, as long as there are gusts of wind to propel the fire. Fallen dry leaves from the trees are just perfect to grow the fire after it ignites and the wind then blows them from area to area extending the parameters of the fire.

In Passaic and Orange Counties, New Jersey fires have spread to 3,000 acres of land with only ten percent of the fires under control by the dedicated firefighters. Tragically, a member of the New York State Park system was killed while he was attempting to clear leaves and dried wood in one of the parks. He did not get burned but sadly died when a dried out tree fell on him.

Not only are these fires a physical menace to parks and properties, but the air quality becomes unsatisfactory. New York City and the vicinity were the recipients of the smoke from the New Jersey wildfires and air quality advisories were propping on the phones called Red Flag Alerts. People were asked to spend less time outdoors in spite of the beautiful and breezy weather.

Final Words

Extreme anything is not good for a person. Whether it’s too much eating or too much alcohol consumption or G-D forbids drug abuse, extreme activities should be approached with caution. Extreme sports are played with much vigor and devotion and the element of danger makes it more exciting and daring. Extreme weather conditions, whether it’s floods or fires, are dangerous and deadly for the population and for the devoted men and women who come to the rescue when necessary. During the recent hurricanes, folks were warned to leave their homes, many did but some did not, risking not  only their lives but those of the rescue teams coming to their aid.

With the dangerous wildfires that are raging now there is not much to do except pray for rain which folks in other countries such as Israel must do. We have not come across this danger of wildfires in recent times and have shown disappointment when the sun is not shining, and the rain is pouring down. Now we realize the reason for rain is not only in springtime for the flowers but any time of year to protect the communities we live in from dangerous wildfires.

Think: When Is My HVAC Being Used The Least?

One of the factors that go into identifying when the timing is right for duct cleaning is the practical part of a typical service call. Try and imagine a technician turning on and off the air conditioning on a hot 90° summer day. The last thing any homeowner wants is for the cooling system to be turned off allowing the inside temperature to rise. As we all know that once the temperature in a home goes above 78° degrees it becomes a real challenge to cool the home down. Turning off the air conditioning on a hot day can impact the comfort of your home. 

Duct Cleaning During The Fall Is Opportune

When identifying an opportune season for air duct cleaning we need to take into account three things; location, average high, and average low. Here in New Jersey during the fall months the average high temperature ranges between 67°F to 50°F with average low between 57°F to 44°F. Rarely does the daily high exceed 74°F (of course while this article is being written it is currently 80°F on a fall day), and the daily low subseeds 36°F.   

Since the temperature in The Garden State during fall is relatively pleasant, naturally the HVAC system will not be used as much. Therefore when a professional duct cleaning service comes to your home and turns off the system most people won’t even notice it. The technicians could then do their work properly without having the home’s air comfort compromised.  

Another benefit of cleaning air conditioning ducts during the fall is that the venting system will be ready for the cold winter months. Having the ducts clear of any unwanted dust and debris allows for proper circulation of heat on a cold winter night. At the same time the heating system will work more efficiently without having to work as hard to warm the home. Efficacy can also be defined in layman’s terms as lower heating bills.   

Why Does My Home’s HVAC Need To Be Off During Duct Cleaning? 

To successfully complete the task of fall duct cleaning, all vents need to be completely sealed with vent film duct masking tape. Once all the vents are properly sealed, the duct cleaning master will then check to see that they have no air leakage at all. During the air duct cleaning process the entire HVAC system is placed under continuous negative pressure (vacuum) to prevent the spread of contaminants. This alone will not suffice for loosening the alien particles that hug the ducts which is why a sensitive tool that snakes through the ducts is used. The tandem team of negative pressure and a non-abrasive duct cleaning pressure will ensure that ducts are cleaned thoroughly for efficient operation. 

The buildup of negative pressure is vital to the success of the HVAC duct cleaning. Not having the vents in the home properly sealed can result in a loss in negative pressure and even worse the disbursement of alien particles into the living areas. Unfortunately this happens quite often when unlicensed air duct cleaning professionals are hired or homeowners attempt to clean ducts on their own. The last thing anyone would want is to hire a duct cleaning company and cause harm to the inhabitants, especially seniors and children with lower respiratory tolerance. 

Who Hasn’t Heard of Spring Duct Cleaning?

Having your ducts cleaned in the spring makes lots of sense due to the fact that the heat has been pumping all winter long. HVAC systems need to work very hard in order to maintain an indoor temperature that is comfortable. As it gets  colder outside, so does the climate in one’s home. On a cold winter night where there is a daily low of 30°F a HVAC system needs to climb by 40°F to get the home to a room temperature of 70°F. That’s a big climb of 40°F, and if you have loved ones that can’t stand the cold you might need to raise the heat even higher. On the contrary, during the summer months a hot home at 80°F just needs to descend by 10°F to get to room temperature.    

Over the course of the winter months the air duct usage increases in order to maintain a relatively comfortable temperature in the home. All that give and take allows unwanted elements like dust and particles to get into the ducts. The main factor is its usage and that is why a spring duct cleaning is recommended. Just make sure that your system truly warrants a professional air duct cleaning and not sold by some salesman.          

How Can I Prevent My Heating System From Working So Hard During The Cold Winter Months?

Prior to answering this question we need to understand that there are a few ways to heat a home. Though other ways like oil and propane heat are available the most common way to heat a home in the United States of America is through a natural gas furnace. Every time the thermostat senses a drop in temperature you will hear the furnace ignite, followed by the disbursement of warm air throughout the living spaces.   

 Heating a home via natural gas is  most economical for homeowners lowering energy bills by ensuring that there is no added cold air getting into the home. Often it is the most common entries where the cold air gets in and a little weather protection can make a big difference.

The Front Door: Taking a beating is an understatement but in reality the front door gets opened, closed, slammed, kicked, and bumped countless times a day. All that wear and tear takes a toll on how it sits flush within the lintel and cool air is allowed in. Sometimes it can get so bad that on a cold day one can actually feel a cool breeze as they walk by the entrance. The solution would be to buy a cheap weather strip that will fill the compromised space and keep the door sealed shut when it’s closed.      

Windows: In most cases one can assume that the window is closing flush and the only air getting in is via the glass pane. Manufacturers give their promise that no cold air will get through but as you put your hand against the window it’s cold. No need to purchase any expensive weathering kit, you can use any plastic sheet. Simply cover the window with as many layers that would suffice for a quality seal and tape all around. After that take a blow dryer on a low heat setting and blow to allow the plastic to contract, giving it a snug fit. It might not look pretty but it should do the job in keeping the cold air out.

Cold Attic Air: Ever go up to the attic during the winter? It’s pretty much like the temperature outside. Assuming that your attic is not a conditioned space and like most people’s attics, they are made to allow warm air to vent during the summer. That venting system is open during the cold winter months and all that air goes into the attic. Contractors install insulation on the bed of the attic but there are many places like ceiling vents and cracks that the cold air can penetrate into the living areas. One needs to identify these spots and plug them up to the best of their ability.    

Final Words

The fall is the best time of year to get those dirty air ducts cleaned since the HVAC usage is at its minimum. Having your air conditioning turned off won’t really bother you on a 58°F fall day. Just be certain that you use a licensed and reputable air duct cleaning company that will give you an honest opinion if your ducts really need to be cleaned. If you are not able to get them cleaned during the fall the next best season is spring. After a long cold winter it’s quite common for those ducts to accumulate dust and unwanted elements and spring duct cleaning would be a good idea. The idea is to get your ducts cleaned during a season when you don’t anticipate using your HVAC system as much. Here in The Garden State those seasons are fall and spring where the weather is nice and pleasant.    

You are having important guests coming for the weekend. Luckily your housekeeper is coming on Friday since you will be at your job until late afternoon. You prepare the coffee cups and the Keurig machine ready with some yummy home baked cookies waiting on the kitchen table. Your guests are taking an early morning flight so they will probably get out of the cab before you come home from work. Your housekeeper is experienced in getting the guest room set up with fresh towels and linens. You’re proud of yourself that you have your act together even though you can’t be at home to greet your guests.

The weekend flows beautifully and all have a great time. After you bid good-bye to your guests you decide to get a head start on the cleaning and go into the guest room to remove the linen and towels to get them into the washer and dryer. As you are stripping the beds you notice some black particles on the windowsill in the guest room. As you swipe your windowsills you decide to check on the furniture. To your dismay and embarrassment there is a disturbing layer of dust. The question is, how long has it been there? Could it be that between Friday and Sunday there could be such a big accumulation of dust particles? Or was your housekeeper negligent in her routine cleaning?

It’s not pleasant to get a “dusting” of humility at some point but when we become too complacent and confident it’s bound to happen. It could be with a recipe that you are so proud and sure of but you forgot the salt or a guest room that was not properly in order. There was no going back to Friday to check out the details and cleanliness of the guest room only to go forward in the future to make sure to tell your housekeeper to dust thoroughly.

Truthfully, if the guests did notice the dust, it probably in some way made them feel more comfortable that you were not the perfect housekeeper since neither are they. Accidents are bound to happen, and a few extra particles of dust are a small price to pay. Those extra dust particles are certainly an improvement over a stuffed toilet or flooded bathroom.

The question remains, why all the dust? Some folks still believe in airing out the home on a regular basis by opening the windows to let the fresh air in. But we all are aware that although the outdoor air is healthy the outdoor air quality in most cities leaves much to be desired. A homeowner who insists on this method of freshening up the indoor air by bringing in outdoor air must be prepared for additional dust from different contaminates from the outside. It could be a construction spot near the house, simple pollen, or soot from something burning which is what the above hostess must have experienced.

Outdoor air dust makes sense if the homeowner tends to keep the windows open. Yes, stale air will leave the house, but contaminated air will enter. A knowledgeable homeowner is aware of this and will compensate by using an air purifier or having their HVAC ducts cleaned regularly.

What is more puzzling is why a home that is almost hermetically sealed should have such an abundance of dust. In the summer, the central air keeps the home cool by not opening windows and in the winter, the heat is on so no one is interested in opening the windows especially in very cold climates. In modern day homes it is unusual to get most of the dust from the outside; so, what is causing indoor dust and inferior indoor air quality?

Surprisingly dust is often personal and here are some examples of what this means:

1: Hair – Have you ever found a hair in your food? This is proof that no matter how thick and luxurious your hair is it sheds regularly. Just because you comb and brush it often and remove the hair from the shower regularly doesn’t mean that you don’t unknowingly shed hair at other places in the home. When a loose piece of hair comes off your head without you knowing about it it breaks down into small pieces and those particles become smaller and smaller until they become one of the ingredients of simple household dust. Smaller hairs from eyelashes and eyebrows become dust faster since they take less time to shrink. Add hair mousse or gels and you will get clumps of dust held together.

2: Skin Flaking – Like snakes who shed their skin a few times a year, humans shed their skin. But we shed our skin every single day and after about a month all our skin is replaced by new skin so lots of skin flakes will be accumulating around the house. Where do these skin flakes go? They go onto our pillows and linen first but when these are shaken or moved around the skin flakes can land right on the furniture to be combined with other dust particles already there.

3: Fabric Softeners – We have written in the past how fabric softeners can be harmful to your clothes dryer and even more than that those fabric softeners actually put a coating on fabric fibers which is only temporary. When the fabric softener eventually falls off the fabric it turns into simple dust.

4: Pets – Anyone who has a furry pet, a dog or cat for example, believes that they are being quite thorough in making sure to remove any pet hair that they see accumulating. Pets innately know how to self-groom but when they clean themselves their saliva sticks to their fur. When the saliva dries it becomes dust uniting with all the various types of specks around it. Cats particularly have very sticky saliva and if a cat owner only visits your home they are bound to leave some cat dander in your home. A trip to the vet regularly can reduce the pollen and dust your pet brings in from the outdoors. Even if you are not a pet owner but have acquaintances who are there is a pretty good chance that pet dander will be added to your dust’s contents.

Even if your home is hermetically sealed when you take your dog for a walk his fur will catch mold spores and pollen from outdoors.

Let’s go on to the less personal and more commonly known causes and solutions to dust in the home.

1: Clogged air ducts – Poor airflow from your HVAC system causes both dust and dust mites to locate long term in various areas of the home. Consider installing ceiling fans to keep air circulating. Other solutions are changing the filters more frequently and calling in a HVAC specialist to check your system.

2: Carpets – Folks enjoy rugs in their home for physical warmth and a homey feeling as well. Today, many folks are removing their carpets and opting for a variety of practical flooring such as wood or vinyl. Allergens love snuggling in the carpet fibers in your home. If you are a renter, you will most likely not be able to remove the wall to wall carpeting that is presently decorating your home. The best option is to call in a carpet cleaner regularly and to vacuum often.

3: Beds, pillows and upholstered couches are havens for dust mites – Any fabric in couches and curtains are hideouts for dust bugs. A good idea is to buy a special mattress, and pillow covers that have been treated against dust mites. If looking to purchase a new couch, leather or vinyl is the way to go. It may not be as soothing as fabric, but you will live a healthier life and breathe much easier.

4: Vacuum and Dust Often – As the story at the start of this article showed, it is important to dust regularly to prevent dust buildup and dust mites from mixing into the dust particles. Practical carpeting does not always show what’s going on regarding dust, so it is imperative to vacuum thoroughly and often. Standard vacuums are not always able to get under beds and couches. Unless you move the beds and couches to get under them the dust will accumulate. A great idea is to purchase a robot vacuum cleaner especially if you have pets.

A robot vacuum gets to the edges of the carpet where a standard vacuum will not fit. Also, it easily goes under beds and couches as long as they are high enough for the robot vacuum to fit. If you find the robot cleaner getting stuck under your bed or couch a simple solution is to purchase inexpensive discs that add a bit of height to the object. Sometimes all the robot vacuum needs is a half an inch and that could be the difference between a robot vacuum getting stuck and being free to clean thoroughly under the beds and couches.

Final Words

There is nothing as pleasant as a dust free home. This seems like an impossible undertaking yet with the right tools you can come close. Dust mites cause allergies and there are various ways to limit the amount of dust in the home. We hope the above suggestions will help homeowners keep their home healthy and clean. The air quality of the home is the most important part of the upkeep of the home. Of course, you should always have a reliable professional come regularly to check on the airflow of your HVAC system and change the filters often especially if you have pets.

The air quality in the aircraft cabin while flying in the air and the air quality of the citizens on ground is of very crucial concern to those people in the air and on the ground. While those folks up in the skies are watching their favorite program and eating their “gourmet” meals, the folks down below are breathing in harmful pollutants caused by burning airplane fuel. People who live near an airport can testify to loud noises that explode when a plane takes off or lands along with a tail of smoke from the fuel.

There is a dual problem with airplanes as modes of transportation both for the passengers in the cabins and folks living under the flight paths of the aircraft. These are two distinct issues which must be dealt with individually since aircraft cabins have windows that do not open so we may be under the impression that the issue with air quality inside the cabin is exclusively internal while air quality on the ground is contaminated by the burning of the jet fuel.

The Air Quality in Aircraft Cabins Due to Bleed Air

Unfortunately, this is not the case because when aircraft are in flight, outside air taken straight from the engines is pumped back into the cabin which is pressurized in order to have sufficient oxygen while in the air. The air that is brought into the aircraft as it gets heated by the engine is called “bleed air” which surprisingly comes straight into the cabin without any filtering. This means that the fuel oil that is burning while the plane is coasting becomes gasified which can cause disturbances in the air quality in the cabin causing people to encounter health disorders such as heart palpitations and headaches.

Professional flight attendant Shannon De Witt is presently on sick leave because he began to experience the above symptoms. When the oil from the jet fumes enters the cabin, it is called a fume event and according to De Witt, an airline veteran flight attendant for eighteen years, Dewitt did not get sick instantly rather his symptoms developed gradually over the years. This does not mean that all aircraft have this issue since there are new aircraft that do have air quality control filtering solutions that successfully filter the cabin air that surpass safety standards. Another example of long term health effects from cabin air quality is Dr Susan Michaelis, a former pilot who was forced to resign in 1997 who had been experiencing symptoms for three years prior to her resignation. Other pilots who are still flying are often afraid of losing their jobs, so they fail to report the air quality problems on their planes.

Actor Miles Teller spoke about his horrible experience while he was filming a popular film about aviation called Top Gun. After a flight landing, he broke out in hives and felt so hot that he went straight to the doctor. His blood test indicated the presence of ‘flame retardant” pesticides as well as jet fuel present in his blood.

Passengers and crews can be inhaling contaminants without knowing but often it’s crystal clear that the air quality on the aircraft is poor. Many years ago, I was flying from Detroit to New York on a cheaper airline and was assigned to a first-class seat because all the other seats were booked. One would imagine that being in first class would be a wonderful experience especially without paying extra. I definitely got more than I bargained for but in a surprisingly negative way.

I was seated in the first row right at the back of the pilot’s cabin. Midair I overheard the flight attendants and pilot speaking to each other concerned that there was a smoky smell in the front of the cabin. They were asking each other what it could be while I, a nervous flier to begin with, was getting quite agitated by their conversation. We thankfully landed safely, and I now know that what they were describing is called “a fume event”.

Fume events are worrisome because pilots can become disabled during the flight endangering the lives of the passengers as well as the crew. Air in the passenger and pilot cabins becomes contaminated by the fumes from the fuel that are inhaled. Some fuels are made of hydraulic fuels and synthetic oils which cause a potentially dangerous symptom named, ‘aerotoxic syndrome”.

Congressman Maxwell Frost has introduced a bill to the House that would discontinue the present air systems on older models. Planes such as the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner have repaired the issue of bleeding air in those aircraft and new legislation would make sure that all aircraft new and old will have new and improved systems to remove all toxins from cabin air. The bill is now being sent to the Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Boeing aircraft presently are utilizing the filters that hospitals use called HEPA filters so that air recirculates in the cabin after being filtered. This way it’s not the same contaminated air recirculating again and again.

Outdoor Air Quality of Neighborhoods Near Airports

Living near the airport has certain advantages such as the ease of picking up and dropping off passengers or a free trip with the kids to watch the planes land and take off. However, anyone who lives near a major airport as this author knows how annoying and unhealthy it is. There are two issues that affect the quality of life of home residents who live near an airport. The first one is noise pollution, which is a major annoyance especially if the flight path is right above your home.

Years ago, the flight plans were quite frequent but over the last many years the port authority has tried to alternate the flight plans over the towns of Lawrence, Inwood, Cedarhurst and Rosedale, Long Island to name a few. This variety of flight plans does improve noise pollution but not if you happen to have a major outdoor party or barbeque on one of the days of flight plans in your area. This is exactly what happened to my daughter. She and her family planned their major event to the last detail including having a close friend man the barbeque so that her family could host the guests properly. However, just as someone was starting to speak the intense noise began from the aircraft traffic. There is no one to call since the traffic patterns are arranged in advance and are subject to last minute changes depending on the weather and other variables.

In the 1970’s there was a short time when the supersonic Concorde was taking off and landing at Kennedy airport. Opposers tried protesting near the airport and collecting dollar bills from innocent citizens of the area who believed that their contribution would help prohibit this noisy plane from contaminating the community airspace. For the short time that the Concorde was in the air, folks realized that the noise problem was nothing but a scam since the SST was not much louder than the average jet. Yet, the Concorde was discontinued shortly after because of safety issues not noise issues.

Noise pollution is definitely an important issue but a worse problem than noise pollution is air quality pollution caused by the burning of jet fuel. Yes, noise pollution can wake up babies who have hard to get to sleep, interrupt parties and have other adverse effects on the quality of life of nearby residents at airports. However, the long-term effects of aircraft air pollution may only be realized decades after people are exposed to it causing various health issues including cancer.

Nassau County and Town of Hempstead supervisors have petitioned the FAA to perform a compulsory review of air and noise pollution from the aircraft flight paths near houses near the airport. While this pollution has always been an issue, the increased air traffic, especially on holiday weekends is putting folks at even a greater risk for illness and hearing problems.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin complained that planes can take off and land as often as every ninety seconds with heavy noise and air pollution at their tails. Residents cannot understand why the planes cannot be rerouted over water bodies and parks instead over private homes.

According to the EPA (The Environmental Protection Agency), any aircraft that flies below 3,000 feet is the cause of increased air pollution. Even while coasting airplane fuel is burned but is especially harmful on take offs and landings. Prostate and stomach cancers and asthma have been documented to be higher in the areas that are directly exposed to aircraft fuel combustion. Some of the dangerous pollutants that are emitted are sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.

Final Words

As flying continues to be the most popular mode of transportation, the air pollution from burning fuel will only get worse causing illness and even death. Since Elon Musk has not been advertising electric jets yet we must find a way to reduce the poisonous air that is emitted over homes that are situated near airports. New York City has two major airports, Kennedy and LaGuardia, that are near each other. This is a double whammy for citizens who live within twenty minutes of these airports. Noise pollution is an additional problem that interrupts the daily lives of the residents. New hotels being constructed in the vicinity of major airports are now installing noise-abating windows that drown out most of the noise from the airplanes. However, private residences do not have this feature, nor do they have the correct air pollution screenings to prevent the bad air from coming into their homes or interfering with children playing outside on a sunny day. Citizens have waited long enough for the government to come in and solve these problems yet only through the FAA and the EPA will issues improve. These problems will not be solved by the private sector and folks volunteer to get into an aircraft risking inhaling unsafe air while in flight but those citizens on the ground do not have a choice breathing in the polluted air that is the only air available to them.

Who could ever forget seeing the second plane crash into the second tower live on television. When the first tower fell it was labeled an accident but when the second one was destroyed, we had to come to terms with the fact that our city had become the victim of the most behemoth terror attack in our country’s history.

Presently, The World Trade Center Health Program checks and treats over 123,000 survivors and first responders who are suffering with extended ongoing health issues such as cancer and lung problems associated with 9/11. Of the many firefighters who responded to the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11, 343 died in the attack and over 370 have since died after being exposed to the toxic fumes while performing acts of heroism. Just this year alone, the deaths in New York City of the number of firemen who have succumbed as the result of illness from the World Trade Center tragedy is twenty-eight.

Although professionals assured residents and office workers that it was safe to return to their homes and offices after several days, the air quality of the downtown and surrounding areas was anything but safe. Folks were so concerned with the unparalleled amount of dead and injured people that the air quality issues were put aside. A year after the catastrophe came the realization that this tragedy and the aftercoming fires caused the worst air pollution in the history of New York City.

Since airplanes were included in the disaster, the thousands of gallons of jet fuel caused not only fires but toxic smoke fumes that were sent by winds to other boroughs of the city such as Brooklyn. Massive amounts of particulate matter, fiberglass and cement along with many other toxins such as asbestos were shot into the air. The fires lasted over three months with a terrible odor caused by toxic gases.

The World Trade Center’s project began at a time when asbestos was used ordinarily in the construction of buildings. Ironically asbestos was a popular fire preventive material that has tragically been the cause of many breathing issues, dementia and cancer. The World Trade Center construction began in 1966 and by the early 1970’s spraying on asbestos for fireproofing was banned, however, this material had already been utilized for forty floors of the North Tower.

All ages in our population who were in the vicinity of the Twin Towers during and after the tragedy continue to suffer from the after effects including children who did not live there but went to school in that vicinity The prestigious Stuyvesant High School was the first school to reopen after the attacks which caused both students, teachers and staff to suffer adversely from inhaling the debris which lasted for months. Also, there was a special barge that collected remaining debris that was situated right across the street from the school which added to the unsafe air quality.

As the Twin Towers came crashing down like a pile of blocks, particulates such as asbestos fibers produced a cloud of dust which was inhaled by so many individuals that we can never know the count. Only by people dying from asbestos-related illness can we get somewhat of an idea of the massive contamination caused by the Twin Towers collapse.

To remember a horrific day with some reverence is truly amazing. There are some people who can find a silver lining in the most devastating situations in life. For example, a group of Rabbis were walking in Jerusalem over a thousand years ago and they came across a dead animal’s carcass. One of the rabbi’s remarked how horrific it was but another Rabbi answered positively, “but look at his beautiful white teeth.” Yes, there are some individuals who can put a positive slant on the most negative situations and catastrophes. Many if not most survivors of the Holocaust describe the miracles of their survival even in the deadly concentration camps. How could they possibly find solace in such a horrifying disaster? Yet, those who did survive were witnesses to divine intervention in their titanic experiences during the war. So too the day of the World Trade Center tragedy is remembered and spoken of as the most beautiful day they have seen in New York City.

What is the Air Quality Index?

Many years (in 1970) ago there was an unsuccessful Broadway show called“ On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” and although this show did not make millions at the box office the title song became quite popular and ultimately it was made into a Barbra Streisand movie. These September days are reminiscent of the song where the sky is blue, the sun is shining with a slight breeze blowing to make it just perfect for spending the day outside if you are fortunate enough to escape the office. Here is an interesting query. If the sky looks clear and the air is easy to breathe does this mean that the air quality is satisfactory?

Here is a summary of yesterday’s air quality in Brooklyn, New York:

Date: 09/10/24

Temperature High: 75°F

Humidity: 47%

Winds: 5 MPH

Air Quality: Good

As you can see these four measurements add up to a perfect day with good air quality. It’s surprising the humidity was at 47% since the weather did not feel humid in the least. Winds at five miles per hour are perfect measurements for a slight breeze that will not ruffle any bird’s feathers nor ruin a girl’s hairstyle. There is a calibration called, air quality index which considers other variables besides the temperature, humidity and wind. Air quality is measured by a barometer called the air quality index.

The air quality index or AQI tells the public exactly what the level of air pollution is on a given day. The measurement is divided into five different categories identified by a number and color for each. The most that the AQI can go up to is 100 and then the local air quality regulators will alert people who are irritated by such pollutants. Below are the categories and their descriptions. A notification is sent out if the AQI goes past 300 to all citizens in the polluted area.

Particle Pollution: There are two types of particles that are transmitted via construction site dust, vehicle pollution, and wildfire smoke. They are called PM2.5 and PM10.

Sulfur Dioxide: Comes from fossil fuels burning and is scary because it’s odorless.

Carbon Monoxide: Also, odorless which comes from manufacturing plants, wildfires, and burning gas from stoves and barbeques.

Ozone: Air such as Los Angeles’ smog containing two types of toxic gasses, (fire causing volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides).

Nitrous Dioxide: is a brownish reddish very volatile gas coming from gas powered vehicles and power plants.

Does Weather Affect AQI?

These five gases are the main measurements of the air quality index. The AQI measures different gases at different times of the day with some being measured hourly and others daily. Due to the overwhelming wildfires in the West, there were forty times that the AQI went up to 500. Air quality varies day to day, for example, surprisingly a sunny day will cause more pollution because the rays of the sun have a negative interaction with harmful pollutants. Wind can change the course of pollutants by moving them from one area to another. Rain on the other hand can at least temporarily wash away toxins. Air conditioning use during hot weather increases the use of electricity which causes power plants’ increased usage of fossil fuels.

Final Words

The World Trade Center disaster was not only an attack on buildings and people, but the terrorists also attacked our environment by leaving a detrimental lasting effect on it. People who were there are still getting sick and dying from inhaling the fumes from the attack until today. Emergency medical teams as well as the fire department came voluntarily to help the situation, putting their own lives in jeopardy and thinking only of saving lives.

Air pollution monitoring is a complicated process, and the weather has a lot to do with it in surprising ways. Even today, cleanup is taking place in apartment houses and stores that were impacted by the attack. Government and private resources are still needed to aid those impacted until today.