Beat the Diwali Cough With These Gadgets

The air quality in India is getting worse and worse, and if you live in Delhi, things are particularly bad as the pollution level is 27 times higher than the safe limit. Smog in Delhi is being thickened by smoke billowing in from Punjab, and after the cracker bursting rituals that everyone seems to love on Diwali, it's only going to get worse.

Things aren't as bad in other major cities in India, but that's not to say that the issue is restricted to the capital. Air quality is a major issue accross India, and one we need to wake up to urgently.

While there are a number of measures the government could take to alleviate the issue, as individuals, there are a few things we can also do in our own homes to make things a little bit better. For one thing, we should all look buying and keeping different plants such as moneyplants in the house, as they absorb many harmful chemicals and can make the air a little bit cleaner.

Another step that can help a little is to wear pollution masks when outdoors. The crowdsourced solution we've found is this reusable mask, which includes a one-way exhale valve, to make breathing more comfortable. Otherwise, there are other gadgets you can look at such different types of air purifiers. The number of products on the market has gone up in the last one year, but here is what you need to know when you're looking to buy a new air purifier.

The air purifiers themselves are pretty similar to the water purifiers we're all used to, and which most of us have in our houses. Air purifiers have fans that pull air in and recirculate it through the room. The air is passed through multiple filters to remove dust and suspended particulate matter, and the more expensive ones have something called a HEPA filter. This removes not just dust and mites, but also mold, bacteria and viruses from the air.

The cheapest air purifiers will cost you around Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000, from brands like Kent and Bionaire. These use something called a HEPA-type filter, instead of a HEPA filter, and the difference is important because HEPA is a standard set by the US government.

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