Air Quality and Your Lungs

How Air Quality Affects Respiratory Health

The quality of the air you breathe has a direct impact on your lung health. Both outdoor and indoor air pollution can cause or worsen respiratory conditions.

Outdoor Air Pollution

Major outdoor pollutants include particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. These pollutants come from vehicle emissions, industrial processes, power plants, and natural events like bushfires. Long-term exposure increases the risk of asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and respiratory infections.

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Common indoor pollutants include tobacco smoke, cooking fumes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paints and cleaning products, mould, dust mites, and pet dander. In developing regions, burning solid fuels (wood, coal, dung) for cooking and heating is a leading cause of indoor air pollution and respiratory disease.

Protecting Yourself

Monitor local air quality indices (AQI) and limit outdoor exercise on high-pollution days. Improve indoor air quality by ensuring good ventilation, using exhaust fans while cooking, avoiding indoor smoking, regularly changing HVAC filters, and using air purifiers with HEPA filters. Keep indoor humidity between 30% and 50% to discourage mould growth.