4 ms·

Impressive study... as someone who just bought a house 100m from large road, I'm just going to make myself read the last paragraph a few extra times: > the bes

by jopsen 5y ago

Impressive study... as someone who just bought a house 100m from large road, I'm just going to make myself read the last paragraph a few extra times: > the best way to maintain brain health was to stay physically and mentally active, eat a healthy balanced diet, and keep your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check.

loloquwowndueo 5y ago
So the best way to maintain health is to … stay healthy?
- jopsen 5y ago
  Yeah, and don't worry about noise pollution -- the stress might kill you :)
viktorcode 5y ago
I'd suggest noise isolating the house. Triple pane windows do wonders in my case, but they aren't always desirable depending on where you live.
- jopsen 5y ago
  I haven't moved in yet... But given that it's only 10 years old, I doubt we'll be able to hear much inside the house :) In any case, noise isolation can make a huge difference.
  - fighterpilot 5y ago
    That works for car noises but not low frequency construction noises, which pass through almost anything. A room in a room seems to be the only solution there
    - jopsen 5y ago
      Ideally construction noises are temporary though :)
- yread 5y ago
  I've recently looked into this, after I read this article https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00395-019-0753-y https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00395-019-0753-y . There are also noise isolating heavy curtains (FWIW the claim -20dBa). But the vibration stays and it might also have an effect
ncmncm 5y ago
Install MERV #13+ and activated-carbon filters in your HVAC intakes, and ensure the fan runs even when the heat or a/c doesn't. You don't need HEPA filters if the air circulates, because what doesn't get caught on one round probably gets caught on the next. Five rounds at 75% is as good as 99.9% once.
- jcims 5y ago
  Placing tight filtration on the HVAC system can substantially reduce airflow over the coils and/or heat tubes, decreasing efficiency and possibly causing the system to malfunction. The HVAC system just needs enough filtering to avoid impacting its operation. Any additional air particulate removal should be done separately.
  - veidr 5y ago
    Also a lot of particulate air pollution is generated inside the home. I bought a few sensors, and was quite astonished how loudly they all complained when I, for instance, fried bacon or cleaned the shower with off-the-shelf cleaning chemicals.
    - fighterpilot 5y ago
      Are these household VOCs actually harmful, though? I get that VOCs from car exhaust or a factory are terrible, but is it true also for cooking bacon?
      - jcims 5y ago
        Some are, sure, but to the point I believe you're considering there's a big difference between benzene and bacon fat.
        ncmncm 5y ago
        Not so big a difference as you might expect: bacon fat particles can be very small, and those that reach your alveolae are quite harmful, cumulatively. Benzene you breathe enters your bloodstream, for a different sort of harm. You need a carbon filter to remove that from your air.

by jopsen 5y ago

loloquwowndueo 5y ago

So the best way to maintain health is to … stay healthy?

jopsen 5y ago
Yeah, and don't worry about noise pollution -- the stress might kill you :)

viktorcode 5y ago

I'd suggest noise isolating the house. Triple pane windows do wonders in my case, but they aren't always desirable depending on where you live.

jopsen 5y ago
I haven't moved in yet... But given that it's only 10 years old, I doubt we'll be able to hear much inside the house :) In any case, noise isolation can make a huge difference.
- fighterpilot 5y ago
  That works for car noises but not low frequency construction noises, which pass through almost anything. A room in a room seems to be the only solution there
  - jopsen 5y ago
    Ideally construction noises are temporary though :)
yread 5y ago
I've recently looked into this, after I read this article https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00395-019-0753-y https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00395-019-0753-y . There are also noise isolating heavy curtains (FWIW the claim -20dBa). But the vibration stays and it might also have an effect

ncmncm 5y ago

Install MERV #13+ and activated-carbon filters in your HVAC intakes, and ensure the fan runs even when the heat or a/c doesn't. You don't need HEPA filters if the air circulates, because what doesn't get caught on one round probably gets caught on the next. Five rounds at 75% is as good as 99.9% once.

jcims 5y ago
Placing tight filtration on the HVAC system can substantially reduce airflow over the coils and/or heat tubes, decreasing efficiency and possibly causing the system to malfunction. The HVAC system just needs enough filtering to avoid impacting its operation. Any additional air particulate removal should be done separately.
- veidr 5y ago
  Also a lot of particulate air pollution is generated inside the home. I bought a few sensors, and was quite astonished how loudly they all complained when I, for instance, fried bacon or cleaned the shower with off-the-shelf cleaning chemicals.
  - fighterpilot 5y ago
    Are these household VOCs actually harmful, though? I get that VOCs from car exhaust or a factory are terrible, but is it true also for cooking bacon?
    - jcims 5y ago
      Some are, sure, but to the point I believe you're considering there's a big difference between benzene and bacon fat.
      - ncmncm 5y ago
        Not so big a difference as you might expect: bacon fat particles can be very small, and those that reach your alveolae are quite harmful, cumulatively. Benzene you breathe enters your bloodstream, for a different sort of harm. You need a carbon filter to remove that from your air.