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There are many sources of air pollution.
Power plants, industrial production and fires, for example.
According to the American Lung Association, in Pittsburgh, the most polluted city in eastern California, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to avoid dirty air outdoors.
But a new device offered through the public library system can help people identify and reduce the poor air quality at home.
John Horsnell, one of them, has been eagerly awaiting inspection of an air quality monitoring station from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library for weeks.
Small, WiFi-
The connected device detects and calculates the level of fine particles that are invisible to the naked eye and are just a fraction of the width of human hair.
The lower the count, the better the air
The risk to health is getting smaller and smaller.
A large number of particulate matter can aggravate problems such as asthma, lung diseases and allergies.
But loanable air monitors are helping residents find and address the root causes of the problem.
Hoshsnell and his family live in a tree-lined community, but green plants can mask high levels of particulate matter floating through the air.
He and his family are healthy, but they usually have three air purifiers in their home.
"There are no medium particles," Horchner insisted . ".
"Say to people who go out jogging and die from a heart attack: 'Oh, it's mild today.
"The family of hoshnell was amused by his vigilance, but now his daughter Christine and wife Nadine gather around the kitchen table to see what the spot monitor will reveal.
Horsnell is guessing optimistic 10 or less.
Nadine predicts that the reading in this room will reach 30.
Read up to 22 and stay there.
In the next test site, I studied upstairs and scored 20 points.
These numbers are pretty good.
At the end of the day, they came to their daughter's room where hoshnell did an experiment.
Earlier in the day, he sealed the door with tape in an attempt to create a controlled environment. The result: 30.
Yes, but not bad.
Illah Nourbakhsh, a professor at the Carnegie Mellon University's Creation Lab, developed the spot to attribute indoor pollution to Pittsburgh's "infiltration" of dirty air from around the windows to the floor ".
Noorbaksh says even people who are completely healthy will suffer from polluted air for a long time.
He said: "We are talking about heart diseases like arrhythmia, such as cardiovascular diseases . "
"These things don't necessarily kill you, but they will reduce the quality of your life.
"At the moment, the Pittsburgh library is the only library that provides this spot to borrowers.
But creating Labs is trying to put loan monitors in other libraries across the country.
Noobaksh stressed that low-income people often live in areas with the worst air quality.
Those who can't afford their own spots
$200 per unit
You can borrow one in a few weeks.
Nourbakhsh says the ultimate goal is to change behavior.
Since the air quality of a room may be affected by a variety of ordinary family activities, Nourbakhsh says this monitor can help people identify and change habits that cause poor air quality.
For example, one can ensure that the air is discharged during cooking, and a filter or vacuum is installed on the window air conditioner long before the children return home, giving the particles time to settle.
"You start to relate your feelings and what you smell to what you see," he said . ".
"Soon you won't need this spot anymore.