Winter is a nice season. For many nations, it is a season of relief from the hot and humid weather. Winter is also liked by many because of Christmas and the New Year?s Eve. However in such a festive season, some issues do take place which adversely affects our environment.

In cold countries such as the US, Norway and Switzerland, temperatures below -10 degrees in some cases. Thus it becomes necessary for houses to light up their chimneys in order to keep the house warm. As chimneys are usually fired up by burning either wood or coal, harmful gases are released into the environment. The increased usage of wood stove also contributes to the gas emissions.

On top of this, cold temperatures and stagnant air have a way of creating a build-up of these substances near the ground, particularly during a weather phenomenon called temperature inversions. In other seasons or weather conditions, warm air sits near the ground and the air can rise easily and carry away pollutants. In a temperature inversion, cold air is trapped near the ground by a layer of warm air. The warm air acts like a lid, holding these substances down. During a temperature inversion, smoke can?t rise and carbon monoxide can reach unhealthy levels. From an air quality perspective, storms are a welcome weather event. Wind, rain and snow storms are sometimes called scrubbers because they help clear out and disperse substances of concern.

Most of the time during the winter, the ambient outdoor air quality worsens as measured by the Air Quality Health Index. If AQHI readings do increase in the winter, it?s generally due to the temperature inversion phenomenon.

Indoor air quality also becomes a greater concern during the winter because of the amount of time that people stay inside with poor ventilation. Without adequate circulation, carbon dioxide levels can become an issue, leading to headaches and lethargy. Generally, outdoor air quality is better than indoor air, so the best antidote is to get outside regularly, open windows for short periods if possible and keep fireplaces and ventilation systems clean and maintained.

Thus in this season, we should be careful about the gas emission issues and try to protect our environment as well as our health from the adverse effects of the gases.