Old MacDonald Had A Farm
Old MacDonald had a farm…E.I…E.I…AUH O! ….Farming used to be the backbone of the US. And in many places around the country it still is. However, the farming process itself can be a real environmental challenge for both the farmers and the people who live within a 3 to 10 mile radius of these farming communities.
Todays farmers use much more sophisticated farming methods, chemicals, hybrid seeds and equipment than the farmers of yesteryear. With the new fast growing seeds, that are impervious to many bugs and diseases and crop rotation, they can get better yields from a smaller farming area. In addition, they can now get two plantings of crops per year. So the actual tilling of the soil is done twice in each growing season.
This stirring of the soil creates some environmental issues. First, every time the soil is stirred up it releases tiny pieces of earth, mold, fungus and what ever else is in the soil into the air. And, farmers use a wet spray manure for fertilizer which is fecal material that can become airborne as it drys. If you live near a farm you know when they are applying this as the “ripe” odor is rather significant and lasts for a few days.
In addition to the particulate from the soil and the fertilizers you also have the pollen and other airborne plants particles that are released into the air during various growing stages of the crops. When you add all these up you have a “cornucopia” of airborne particulate that can be a cause for concern for those people who suffer from allergies and asthma or other respiratory issues.
Farmers who spend days in the field know these allergens can be a problem and that is why many of them wear respirators when on open farm equipment. The newer farm tractors and combines all have enclosed cabs with air conditioning and air filtration devices. This keeps the exposure of the farmers to the outside air to a minimum when tilling the soil or applying chemicals.
For those of you who live near or around these farming communities you need to understand that you are exposed to high concentrations of these airborne particles for extended periods of time. Many people who were healthy and had no allergies have developed significant allergies after months or years of exposure to these farming areas.
Pure Air Systems manufactures a line of HEPA based air filtration systems since 1985. Over the years PAS has provided its air filtration units as well as various air filtration products for the farmers homes as well as many of the residents who live in close proximity to these farms. Even people who live as far as 10 miles from these farms are susceptible to this “farming” dust as winds will carry these light airborne particles for miles. This is especially true on days when it is warm and dry and windy.
The HEPA filters used in the PAS systems are specifically designed to remove small, sub-micron, respirable sized particles. The units themselves offer the ability to both filter the air as well as allow for the introduction of small amounts of outside filtered fresh air.
For more information on the complete line of air filtration systems offered by Pure Air Systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com