A row of fans for a central air system
Air purifiers are commonly recommended for children with chest colds and folks with asthma or allergies and other similar breathing conditions. By providing moisture into the immediate area, the traditional air purifier captures dust and floating contaminants, thus making it easier for users to breathe. With technology, newer features and systems have offered more efficient and effective promises of similar performance, but they apparently come with problems that can make it worse for users.
Dangers Noted
The consumer protection source, "Consumer Reports" magazine, weighed into the issue of air purifiers in 2007, dubbing the market a "regulatory black hole." Noting a significant lack of any regulatory oversight over these products, it said air purifiers are a classic case of caveat emptor: buyer beware. Compounding the issue is that many of the producers have touted their products as specifically designed to improve breathing and air cleanliness, confusing buyers even more since there is no standard to compare to for reference.
Filter Systems
Traditional air purifiers use a filter system. Air is forced through a fabric filter designed to catch contaminants, dust and smoke from the immediate area. They do not use an electronic or chemical approach, relying on the fabric screen to catch particles. The major issue with these units is regular maintenance and changing out of the filters and water, if used.
Ion Cleaners
The ionic approach tries to use charged, static electricity to grab contaminants in the air. This is done by releasing ions that, using static attraction, attach onto particles and soon the matter can no longer float in the air and falls to the ground. Thus it is no longer a breathing risk.
But the "stick-it" approach has drawbacks. The most noticeable side effect is that the area near the cleaner adjacent surfaces will get black with captured material. The darkening of surfaces, unfortunately, is what is happening around the entire room the cleaner is in. This means that the same ionized particles are also grabbing contaminants and could possibly get stuck in a person's lungs rather than being exhaled again. Continued exposure could then cause related health problems. The probability is enough to have caught the attention of the government to issue warnings about the matter and ionized cleaners.
Ozone Cleaners
Unlike an ion cleaner, an ozone cleaner is marketed to kill off bacteria and mold and remove contaminants from the air. This marketing has been challenged by both federal and state government agencies as false. In fact, extended exposure to ozone in a room has been connected with respiratory problems and breathing impediment. For those with asthma or reduced lung capacity, ozone only makes things much worse. Studies performed by both the government and consumer watchdog groups have concluded that ozone purifiers do little to catch contaminants and instead just reduce a person's ability to smell. This in turn makes it seem as if bad air or odors have been "cleaned" up.
Regular Cleaning Needed
While traditional air purifiers with filters are recommended, they are only as good as their regular maintenance. Users should change filters regularly. Central home heat, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) systems should have filter changes every one to two months, depending on the intensity of dust and dirt in the neighborhood. Portable units that use a filter and water should have the water changed daily, and the filter should be scrubbed out with a natural cleaner at least once a week. This prevents water-based mold from being injected into the air and filters being overwhelmed to the point of failure.
Tags: catch contaminants, immediate area, regular maintenance, should have, with asthma