Close-up of dust on woman finger taken from wooden table
Among a range of air contaminants that are hazardous to your health, nitrogen dioxide is a good one to know about.
This sort of air pollution falls into the general category of greenhouse gases, and emissions that come from vehicles and equipment that burn oil and gas.
However, nitrogen dioxide is also caused in all kinds of other ways. It’s a natural element, but one that can have certain effects on people when it gets into their lungs through the air.
In fact, the chemistry of nitrogen dioxide is actually pretty interesting and detailed. You may have heard that nitrogen dioxide comes from fossil fuel production, but scientists have a very granular understanding of how this works in terms of molecular composition and how elements interact in nature, as well as in man-made lab processes.
Let’s start with a few questions about how nitrogen dioxide ends up in the air.
Nitrogen dioxide in outdoor air may come from industrial processes or vehicle combustion.
It pollutes the air in large amounts, and contributes to smog and poor air quality.
Nitrogen dioxide in indoor air is usually present at lower levels. It can come from various sources. This includes stoves and ovens, furnaces, and even some types of air purifiers.
So let’s break this down in a bit more detail…
Nitrogen Dioxide and Air Purifiers
Some types of air purifiers take nitrogen dioxide out of your indoor air. That’s good news, because NO2 can have an effect on your health.
Other types of air purifiers can actually introduce nitrogen oxide into your air. That means it’s important to know which ones to use in your home. Why would an air purifier generate NO2? It has to do with the exact science of this type of chemical process.
Nitrogen Dioxide and Chemical Catalysts
Here’s something to know about nitrogen dioxide. It can be formed by ozone interacting with the nitric oxide naturally present in the air. So – ozone plus air equals NO2! (as for air purifiers, specifically, air purifiers with ozone producing ionizers, UV-V (185 nm) bulbs, or ozone generators can actually add nitrogen dioxide to a space. We do not have any ozone-producing air purifiers on the site!)
In addition, nitrogen dioxide can originate from lightning. This natural process splits nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂) in the air, allowing them to combine into nitrogen oxides (NO and NO₂).
Or it can come from soil. That happens when a bacteria by-product mixes with the air and becomes oxidized into nitrogen dioxide.
But there’s another chemical reaction that takes place inside the lungs, where nitrogen dioxide breaks down into nitric and nitrous acids. That’s what can cause lung problems and troubling respiratory symptoms.
Nitrogen Dioxide and Lung Problems
Higher levels of NO2 can cause symptoms like these:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
- Irritation of eyes, nose, and throat
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Alternately, if you’re getting moderate levels of NO2, you might feel fatigue, or dizziness, or experience pulmonary edema where fluid builds up in the lungs. Conditions like bronchitis can also come from NO2 exposure, and scientists and clinicians continue to explore the links between NO2 exposure and some types of conditions.
“The relationship between cognitive and psychomotor development disorders in children and air pollution became the subject of research only in the last ten years,” writes Michal Krzyzanowski, a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London, in a report called The Health Impacts of NO2 Pollution. “Most of the research evaluated the impact of exposure to fine particulate matter, indicating a significant relationship between the risk of autism development and exposure to PM2.5 at the early life stages. However, studies on exposure to NO₂ are less common and less explicit. A systematic review of the studies identified ten publications that could be included in a meta-analysis. Five of them originated from Europe, the other ones from Asia. The analysis suggests a relationship between a child’s poorer psychomotor development with prenatal exposure to NO2.”
A study from the American Thoracic Society has a slightly different take: scientists seem to agree that NO2 is present in a lot of homes, but remain more vague on the link between this type of air pollution and lung problems.
“Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a product of combustion that has become recognized as a significant component of indoor air in some homes,” study authors write. “Despite extensive study, it remains unresolved whether exposures to low levels of NO2 affect airway function or reactivity.”
How to Avoid Health Problems from Nitrogen Dioxide
To get NO2 out of the indoor air, the best solution is activated carbon, which will trap gas molecules in its pores.
Some types of UV lights are also effective, but they must be tested to make sure they don’t emit ozone. For example, if you want a UV model that does NOT produce ozone, the Airpura UV700 has a UV lamp that is “non-ozone producing” and it has the HEPA filter, too.
Take a look at various air purifier designs that can work on contaminants like nitrogen dioxide, and consider using an air monitor like this one from uhoo to see what’s present in your indoor air.
US Air Purifiers LLC will help with any issues or design questions that you have. Think about how to safeguard your family’s health in your home, with a better understanding of the chemistry that happens in your indoor air every day.