Even after dusting furniture and mopping floors regularly, if you find a layer of fine dust in your house, it only means there is even more dust on the road. Indoor pollution is here to stay in the urban space, where roads are getting broader and carrying more traffic.
Velachery resident M. Manikandan, who lives on a road with a school, said he cannot take his his two-wheeler out without giving it a dusting due to all the passing vehicles.
“Our road also serves as a shortcut for motorists who want to avoid the main road. So we have dust inside our home too, and it requires frequent mopping of floors. But that is the price we pay to live here in Chennai,” he said.
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“I get a maid thrice a week just to dust the surfaces, since I live on a main road and don’t like to close the windows and doors,” said T. Nayaki, a resident of Mettukuppam. Though houses and offices don’t have air pollution filters as yet, like in Delhi, it is still a problem.
S.M. Shiva Nagendra, professor, Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, IIT Madras, said mechanically ventilated buildings have lesser dust.
“However, some of them would cause the sick building syndrome, where those working inside feel irritated and are not be able to concentrate if the CO2 concentration is high,” he said.
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A way out
As far as naturally ventilated buildings are concerned, particulate matter comes in through doors and windows.
“As the particles enter the indoor environment, they start building up and their concentration increases. They get deposited on furniture, books and floor. If outdoor concentration is high, then indoor concentration will naturally be high. If houses and offices face the problem, we ask people to close windows that face the road during peak traffic and this could reduce particulate matter by 30%. Increase in mopping will also help reduce dust,” Mr. Nagendra explained.