The Haze: Do's and Don'ts

As suggested by the APOSL science club

It does look as though the haze is here to stay for a couple of months. While the various politicians battle it out with a war of words, let's leave them to it and do what we can to protect ourselves.

Do's:

• Shut the windows (including the windows in your bathroom) and doors of your house and stay indoors.
• Check the DOE's Air Pollutant Index daily. (http://apims.doe.gov.my/apims/) Any numbers higher than 200 are very unhealthy.
• Consider buying a “N95” respirator to use for when you go out. Read the instructions and learn to wear it correctly.. The method of using one can vary depending on the model and manufacturer – always consult your doctor first. Remember that respirators are usually unsuitable for children and pregnant women, and if you are a man, it will be required that you shave your facial hair to ensure the mask can form a proper seal.(1)(2)
• Use the air-conditioner as it can also help filter the air. If at all possible, consider replacing your air-conditioner filters with HEPA filters, high efficiency filters that remove fine particles from the air.
• To save money, have the entire family sit together in the room and take this opportunity to bond. Watch some television (Game of Thrones marathon anyone?), play tabletop games or simply break out the iPads and laptops. We recommend watching videos from TED, as there are quite literally hundreds of hours of useful and interesting knowledge to broaden one's horizons. (5)
• Go to an indoor gym more often. Restricting oneself indoors is no excuse to sit around all day and be lazy. Exercising outdoors has clearly become a liability, so why not take a quick drive and enrol in your nearest gym. The cheaper alternative is to work out at home. Stretching exercises are recommended as they don't take up much space and you still get the some of the benefits of exercise. Consider investing in a yoga mat.
• When driving to work, look for the recirculate button in your car.  Most cars have this function. This keeps the particulate counts in your car lower(1)
• Turn on the air-purifier if you have one. Remember to check and clean the filters in the air-conditioners and purifier regularly to keep them operating at maximum efficiency.
• Have a bottle of eye-drops handy for those who suffer from eye-irritation.
• Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Wash your hands and face when entering from outdoors. Dust particles are essentially breeding grounds for bacteria.
• Shower and change into a fresh set of clothes as soon as you come home.

Do-nots:

• Do not use surgical masks and wet bandanas. They are poor substitutes and are not recommended for use as they do not form proper seals on the face to prevent you from inhaling unfiltered air.(2)(4)
• Do not smoke or burn anything inside the house, such as candles or incense, as this will increase the amount of dust indoors.(5)
• Do not use ozone generators to purify the air. This may be more dangerous than it's worth.(1)(3)(5)

These ideas and advices are picked from the APOSL science club’s Facebook discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aposlmy/permalink/569341093109440/

Ref.:
1) http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=Content-Type&blobheadervalue1=inline%3B+filename%3D%22Fire+and+smoke+FAQ.pdf%22&blobheadervalue2=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1251856472340&ssbinary=true
2) http://publichealth.nc.gov/docs/news/FrequentlyAskedQuestionsRegardingHealthAndWildfires.pdf
3) http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
4) http://nmhealth.org/eheb/documents/SmokeandMasks61011.pdf
5) http://oehha.ca.gov/air/risk_assess/wildfirev8.pdf