Recently, we are increasingly becoming convinced of how dependent a person is on his surrounding nature. He also violated the ecology by the response in the form of global warming, climate change and other violation of normal (habitual) living conditions has a negative impact on the health of not individual individuals suffering from a particular illness, but practically on all people who inhabit planet Earth.
The relevance of this problem is confirmed by reports of the World Health Organization, statistical indicators of the growth of somatic and infectious diseases, a decrease in average life expectancy, and also the manifestation of other negative trends in a wide range of medical and statistical data. And all this at the current level of development of medical technologies and vast experience in the treatment and prevention of almost all diseases encountered in humans.
At least partially, the problem can be solved by creating a favorable microclimate for their homes and workrooms. We have already learned how to regulate the temperature at the level of established health standards or to make it simply comfortable for humans. But in addition to temperature indicators, there are many other criteria for assessing the indoor microclimate. Among them, relative humidity plays an important role. The well-being of people depends on the amount of moisture in the air, their performance, and the ability to get a good quality rest within a particular room.
Low humidity adversely affects the skin and mucous membranes. Their drying can lead to microcracks, and these are open paths for the penetration of various infections. High humidity causes a feeling of heaviness, adversely affects the work of the cardiovascular system and other systems of the human body.
The optimum humidity in the apartment has a clear framework. To classify this indicator, you can use the following standards:
- from 20% and below - corresponds to extremely low humidity;
- from 30 to 40% - just low;
- from 40 to 55% - the most optimal humidity;
- from 60 to 65% - is already an indicator of high humidity;
- from 70 to 75% - high humidity;
- from 75% and above - humidity is very (extreme) high.
To remind you what relative humidity is, let us turn to a high school level physics course. From the first reading, the definition of this quantity looks confusing and a little incomprehensible. But having a little understanding, it becomes clear that relative humidity is a value equal to the ratio of the amount of moisture (steam) in a certain volume of air (absolute humidity) to the amount of the maximum possible amount of water that can be contained in air at this temperature. This value is measured in percent.
If the first part of the expression does not raise special questions, then the second must be dealt with. The fact is that water vapor cannot be dissolved in air indefinitely, there comes a moment when the steam becomes saturated, and the excess of moisture entering the air falls out in the form of condensate, rain, fog or dew. This indicator depends on temperature and pressure.
Determination of relative humidity is carried out using a wide variety of instruments. Modern industry has launched the production of various psychrometers, hygrometers, thermo- hygrometers, wet thermometer and temperature meters, humidity sensors , moisture meters, anemometers and other devices. But the most important thing is that technical devices capable of regulating the level of humidity have appeared on sale.
Relative humidity increases with the help of special humidifiers, air conditioners equipped with this function are used to drain the air.