This research essay was written by the Green Team and presents a brief but accurate summary of our findings to aid in engagement and give practical advice on how to monitor and combat the effects of harmful environmental qualities such as particulate matter and CO2. This essay was written by Arwen Santiago, a member of the Green Team. We hope to add our findings about four other environmental qualities to this essay, co-authored by Mekdelawit Silkin and Leah Brown. We hope this essay is insightful.
By Arwen Santiago
Particulate matter (PM) is also known as particle pollution. It comes in many forms, such as dust, dirt, smoke, or soot, and is commonly emitted from sources in urban and rural areas, such as fields, construction sites, fires, and the exhaust pipes of cars. This essay aims to raise awareness of the negative impacts of PM on well-being. If inhaled for a prolonged amount of time, and in large amounts, PM can affect your respiratory system, often causing aggravated asthma attacks, decreased lung function, irregular heartbeat, non-fatal heart attacks, and other health problems (Environmental Protection Agency, 2025). The purpose of this research is to highlight the significance of indoor PM and methods for reducing it, so people can protect themselves from its impacts.
PM can be a serious threat to your health, causing and amplifying the symptoms of conditions such as asthma, decreased lung function, irritated airways, and difficulty breathing, which can affect long-term development among more vulnerable people (Environmental Protection Agency, 2025). PM affects people living in urban areas, since sources include construction sites, unpaved roads, power plants, industrial buildings, and automobiles, as well as rural areas, with common sources such as fields and fires. These particles, ranging from 2.5 to 10 micrometres in diameter, can be easily inhaled, affecting your lungs and entering your bloodstream (Environmental Protection Agency, 2025). Different particulates have different thresholds of danger. The most dangerous is PM2.5 (the smallest) because it can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system (WHO, 2021). The WHO air quality guideline (AQG) states that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3, while 24-hour average exposures should not exceed 15 µg/m3 more than 3 – 4 days per year (WHO, 2021). Your local authority should inform those in the area if there has been a rise in PM levels, which could be potentially harmful for your well-being, but instead of relying on the local authority to inform you, there are ways of monitoring PM levels in your home. Firstly, you can monitor PM using a specialised sensor to detect PM and other pollutants. This can be done through an air purifier with highly efficient particulate air (HEPA) filters, which need to be replaced regularly. You must also ensure that stoves, heaters, boilers, and fireplaces are properly ventilated, so that particle pollution doesn’t worsen. If these appliances aren’t functioning correctly, it is advised to have a professional inspect and repair them to give you peace of mind (Bannister, n.d.). It is important that you follow these in order to protect the health of your loved ones and yourself, as well as the environment.
Keywords:
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) = standard for air filters designed to trap at least 99.97% of particles including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria.
Bibliography:
Zhuang, X., Xu, Y., Zhang, L., Li, X. and Lu, J. (2022). Experiment and numerical investigation of inhalable particles and indoor environment with ventilation system. Energy and Buildings, 271, p.112309. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112309.[Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2024). Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate Matter (PM). [online] US EPA. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/health-and-environmental-effects-particulate-matter-pm.[Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
Bannister, M. (2018). Top 5 tips to improve your PM levels indoors. [online] Airthings.com. Available at: https://www.airthings.com/resources/tips-reduce-pm-levels-home?srsltid=AfmBOopUId0-ntldHjMLOvRSwaT33mBtLl_UJm4mw1Q1UZQFwCwQDyTJ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2023). Particulate matter (PM) basics. [online] United States Environmental Protection Agency. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics. [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
World Health Organization (2021). C40 Knowledge Community. [online] www.c40knowledgehub.org. Available at: https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/WHO-Air-Quality-Guidelines?language=en_US. [Accessed 15 Feb. 2026].