Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
SARS CoV-2 (commonly known as COVID-19) is going to be a part of life for the foreseeable future. That’s the overarching sentiment, at least for the time being. Though its effects seem to be waning, in no small part due to control measures having been put in place with mitigating responses like masking, vaxxing, distancing, … Read more
Vital signs – Temperature check: Never before did I even think that this planet of ours would be affected by the three simultaneous threats of global warming, air pollution and COVID-19, any one of these having the potential to be totally devastating. In my lifetime the world has warmed – no question. How much hotter? … Read more
The initial reaction to the news of the SARS CoV-2 COVID-19 outbreak was, in a word, predictable: There was immense fear and loathing. Throw in panic too. Like reaction, coronavirus response also was mixed. Response to the pandemic was all over the place, in fact. It ran the gamut. Everything from intense impulse-buying among consumers … Read more
I see these advertisements for air fresheners. Never used one nor do I ever intend to. But, by their very being, it is suggestive that the air within interior spaces, particularly in automobiles and trucks, can get a bit stale and/or musty-smelling. Though relatively inexpensive, the question is: Do air fresheners go far enough, meaning, … Read more
The below Feb. 15, 2021 news release is from the University of California, Riverside. A new study finds that California’s commuters are likely inhaling chemicals at levels that increase the risk for cancer and birth defects. As with most chemicals, the poison is in the amount. Under a certain threshold of exposure, even known carcinogens … Read more
With the spread of the UK and South African coronavirus variants to the U.S., with the concern over their being more contagious than the original strain, and with the disease-fighting anti-viral properties of the COVID vaccines believed to be less effective against the newer variant strains, less likely is the prospect of life getting back … Read more
How far society has come in so short a time I find remarkable. Just in my lifetime, astronauts have landed and walked on the moon. The computer has literally gone from filling up rooms in their entirety to being reduced to the size of a microchip, in some cases no bigger than a fingertip. And … Read more
I can’t help but think back to when I was an editorial associate for a Fresno, California-based publisher. This was a step up from the copywriter assignment that I had had previously. The person who had occupied the then editorial associate spot had just recently quit. So, with no one in charge of magazine editorial … Read more
Ozone (O3) is a colorless but not odorless gas. When ignited, ozone gives off a chlorine-bleach-like odor. So, obviously, based on this, there is a point at which ozone ignites, and it is when this ignition point is reached that the chlorine-bleachish smell from the ozone is produced and released. It is in this sense … Read more
The below Dec. 9, 2020 news release is from Michigan State University. People with prediabetes or diabetes who live in ozone-polluted areas may have an increased risk for an irreversible disease with a high mortality rate. A new study recently published in the Environmental Health Perspectives connects insulin resistance and repetitive ozone exposure to the … Read more