Sleepy after lunch? After taking a nap, the more you sleep, the more tired you get? The reason may be that the carbon dioxide is exceeded!

Have you ever been drowsy in class or at work? Lying in bed but getting more and more tired the more you sleep? These situations may not be due to laziness, but related to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the room. A recent scientific study published in the journal Nature Sustainability found that even low levels of carbon dioxide can have an impact on our cognitive performance, kidney, blood vessel and bone health.

Dr. Michael Hernke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's team found that human exposure to low concentrations of carbon dioxide at 1,000 ppm for several hours can also cause health problems. Researchers detected carbon dioxide concentrations of more than 1,000 ppm in crowded and poorly ventilated classrooms, offices, and bedrooms, as well as in air-conditioned compartments and airliner cabins. Some preliminary evidence suggests that long-term exposure to carbon dioxide at concentrations of 2,000 to 3,000 ppm can cause inflammation, vascular damage, anxiety, kidney calcification, and osteoporosis. It affects children and people with chronic illnesses more often

Three universities in United States, led by the Harvard School of Public Health, conducted a study on the effects of carbon dioxide on human cognitive performance and productivity. The researchers arranged for 24 employees who normally work in an office with a CO2 concentration of about 550 ppm to stay in an environment with a relevant concentration of 1,400 ppm. The results showed that their cognitive scores were halved compared to the usual day.

Staying in an environment with high concentrations of carbon dioxide for a long time not only makes people drowsy, but also stimulates the respiratory center and causes breathing disorders, as well as headaches, drowsiness, poor reflexes, fatigue and other symptoms, and is more likely to cause the spread of respiratory infections. Poor air circulation.

01

Excess carbon dioxide is harmful to health

Centrally air-conditioned offices and air-conditioned rooms are the hardest-hit areas

Carbon dioxide CO2, colorless and odorless, usually does not feel its concentration, is a kind of exhaust gas emitted by human aerobic respiration, and is a suffocating gas. The amount of carbon dioxide generated is determined by the number of people and their activities, and carbon dioxide is used as the main evaluation index for air quality and ventilation status. Long-term exposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide is equally damaging.

According to the United States ASHRAE ventilation standard, it is recommended that indoor carbon dioxide concentration values should not exceed 1,000 ppm. The Hong Kong Indoor Air Quality Centre (IAQ) believes that the general CO2 level in the office should be in the range of 600~800 ppm. Indoor CO2 concentration values must be measured during peak hours. In a typical work environment, peak hours are usually between 11 a.m. ~ 3 p.m.

According to the National Standard for Indoor Air Quality (GB/T18883-2002) promulgated by the People's Republic of China, the standard value of indoor carbon dioxide is 0.10%, i.e. no more than 1,000 ppm.

If the concentration of carbon dioxide exceeds 1,000 ppm for a long time, it will be harmful to the human body.

In a common bedroom space with an area of 15 square meters, if the doors and windows are closed, after 8 hours of sleep, the CO2 concentration is generally 1500~3000 ppm, which is already in the degree of mild to moderate hypoxia.

The latest studies show that when the CO2 concentration is 1,000 ppm, the 9 decision-making abilities are moderately reduced, ranging from 11~23%. At a concentration of 2,500 ppm, the decision-making ability decreased significantly, ranging from 44~94%.

People who have been above 2,500 ppm for a long time begin to develop cranial nerve damage, which is slightly irreversible, and their ability to think and judge is significantly reduced, their IQ is reduced, and they are unable to perceive themselves, especially in adolescents under 20 years old, whose brain development is delayed or even stagnant.

Long-term exposure to mild to moderate CO2 hypoxia also significantly reduces the body's immunity, and the ability to deal with cell aging, damage, death, degeneration, foreign invasion and viral infection is significantly reduced, especially in the brain and the entire respiratory system, and the ability to identify and deal with cell mutations is also reduced to a certain extent.

In addition, high concentrations of carbon dioxide and CO2 are most likely to occur in cars. When the driver closes the window and drives for more than 10 minutes, the carbon dioxide and CO2 concentration soars to more than 2,000.

Staying in an air-conditioned room for a long time in summer is prone to air-conditioning disease

"Air conditioning disease" is a series of diseases induced by prolonged use of air conditioners. When using air conditioning, the space is relatively closed, the air is not circulated, pathogenic microorganisms are easy to breed, and the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is large, and the body is not adaptable, so a series of symptoms will occur.

Abdominal pain and diarrhea: The stomach and intestines are very sensitive to temperature stimulation, and the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is too large, and the gastrointestinal peristalsis is accelerated, resulting in digestive dysfunction, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Cold and fever: Entering an indoor with too low temperature from a hot outdoor can easily cause colds, coughs, and even serious diseases such as asthma and pneumonia.

Neck, shoulder, waist and leg pain: In summer, thin clothes, shoulder joints, knee joints, waist and other areas are exposed to cool breeze for a long time, which can easily lead to joint and muscle pain and other symptoms, and can easily cause cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, etc.

Myocardial infarction: Switching from low-temperature indoor to high-temperature outdoor will cause blood vessels to shrink and dilate suddenly, and blood pressure will fluctuate repeatedly, which may induce myocardial infarction, which is very dangerous for the elderly with fragile blood vessels.

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Excess carbon dioxide is harmful to health

How do I know my CO2 levels and what to do about it?

To ensure that carbon dioxide concentrations do not reach dangerous levels, a carbon dioxide monitor can be used. The CO2 concentration in the room is monitored, and if the CO2 level is detected, the occupants will be alerted or measures will be taken directly. For example, when an increase in indoor carbon dioxide concentration is detected, air quality can be improved by increasing ventilation or using air purification equipment.

In addition to monitoring with CO2 sensors, we can also take the following measures:

● Improve ventilation efficiency: Open windows regularly for ventilation, especially in indoor environments where many people gather.

● Increase indoor plants: Indoor planting of plants can not only increase the greenery of the space and promote the oxygen content of the air, but also some plants can also absorb toxic substances in dust Egypt, which has a good effect on maintaining and improving indoor air quality. Recognized as a natural "air scavenger", it can absorb more than 80% of harmful gases (such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene) and heavy metal particles in the air in a room of about 3.3 square meters. At night, it absorbs a large amount of carbon dioxide, releases oxygen, and produces negative ions more than 30 times higher than that of ordinary plants, which can promote the body's metabolism, activate cell functions, and inhibit the growth of bacteria and molds. Saxifrage is very easy to grow, drought tolerant, shade tolerant, strong vitality, and can survive in any environment. However, the amount of watering should be appropriate, if you water too much, it is easy to rot the roots. Kudzu also has a good purification ability for absorbing carbon dioxide and harmful substances in the room.

● Control indoor crowd density: reduce indoor crowding, especially in small or confined spaces.

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Excess carbon dioxide is harmful to health

The three main culprits of air pollution: dust, carbon dioxide, and organic gases

"Volatile organic compounds" (VOCs). As long as you can have a preliminary understanding of their causes and sources, you can prevent them from happening before they happen and avoid causing harm to your body!

• Dust (suspended particles) → cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases!

Dust is classified according to the diameter of the particles, and usually the most affecting the body is "suspended particles less than or equal to 10um (microns)", because it can enter the human respiratory system with respiration, and then cause respiratory-related diseases and cardiovascular diseases. The main sources of dust in indoor spaces include smoking smoke, black carbon particulates from cooking, asbestos in building materials, man-made mineral fibres or fine hair from pets at home.

• Carbon dioxide → cause dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating!

High indoor CO2 concentrations are mainly caused by large groups of people gathering, breathing, smoking, and other burning behaviors in offices or other public places. When the indoor population density is too high or the ventilation efficiency is not good, it is easy to cause the accumulation of carbon dioxide concentration, and at the same time, the concentration of other pollutants will also be relatively high, so "carbon dioxide concentration" is regarded as the most important indicator of good indoor air quality. Once the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is too high, it will not only irritate the respiratory center and cause breathing problems, but also cause headaches, drowsiness, poor reflexes, fatigue and other symptoms.

• Volatile organic compounds → have been proven to cause cancer and affect fertility!

The development of science and technology has also led to the abundance of toxic "volatile organic compounds". In the home, it is almost ubiquitous, including paints, detergents, pesticides, cosmetics and perfumes. In the office environment, in addition to the decoration of building materials and furniture, such as frequently used stationery, photocopiers, printers, etc., also contain a large amount of volatile organic substances. Among them, "formaldehyde" is the most common and widely known, because it exists in more than 3,000 kinds of building materials! These toxic substances not only irritate the skin, respiratory tract, central nervous system, etc., but have also been proven to cause cancer and even lead to infertility!

It is recommended to purchase the following air detectors to monitor air quality anytime, anywhere: