How Does an Air Purifier Work?

Depending on the type of technology used, an air purifier can remove airborne dust, allergens, chemicals, gases, and odors. Owning an air purifier has become increasingly popular as indoor pollution levels have climbed. Here’s a brief overview of how various air purifier technologies work.

 

Furnace Filters

The most basic of air purifier filters can be used in your home’s heating and cooling system. It’s usually placed between the air return duct and the furnace. This box-like filter slides into a slot so that all air flowing to the furnace passes through a mesh of fibers. It traps large dust and other particles that could otherwise build up and damage the components inside the HVAC system.  This type of filter cannot remove chemicals, gases or odors.

A Room Air Purifier with a HEPA Filter

To be accepted as HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter, this type of cleaning technology must remove 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in size or larger. It’s generally made up of a densely fibrous type material that works by trapping passing dust and allergens. It is highly recommended and very effective on particles, but cannot trap chemicals, gases and odors. 

An Air Purifier with Ionizing Technology

This type of air purifier creates a small but intense electrical field. It works by charging air particles and pulling them to metal plates that have an opposite charge. This technology has come under fire for generating ozone, a potentially dangerous pollutant even in small quantities. Some experts, including doctors with the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology don’t recommend this type of air purifier. They say that without fans, these units cannot collect airborne particles from more than a few feet away and as a result do not significantly improve indoor air quality.

Ozone Generators
An ozone generator works like an ionizing purifier, but purposely produces ozone. Ozone is made up of three oxygen molecules one of which can detach and apply itself to other substances altering their make-up. Manufacturers of these units claim that their air purifier technology cleans the air, however most world health agencies believe there is strong evidence that ozone is not only inefficient, but dangerous to human health. These types of devices have actually been banned in the State of California. There is also concern that ozone may react with chemicals in the air and form new pollutants with unknown health effects.

An Air Purifierwith Activated Carbon

The most complete and effective air purifier contains a HEPA filter and an adsorbent material like activated carbon to remove chemicals, gases and odors. Activated carbon is extremely porous and has millions of tiny nooks and crannies that trap passing pollutants. Only an air purifier with this type of “adsorbent” (not absorbent) can remove the airborne pollutants left behind by HEPA dust filters.

Learn More

For more information on how an air purifier works or for a personalized recommendation, chat live with an AllerAir Air Quality Expert at www.allerair.com.

Protect children and teachers from poor IAQ in educational facilities

Educational facilities are in need of
improved indoor air quality.

With roughly one fifth of the U.S. population spending their days in educational facilities such as schools, day care and child care settings, universities and the like, experts are warning about the effects poor indoor air quality can have on students and teachers.

Studies have linked indoor air pollution with health risks and problems such as asthma, nausea, fatigue, headaches and other respiratory conditions.

By subjecting the student population as well as staff at educational facilities to poor indoor air quality, the polluted air can affect the health and well-being, concentration, attendance rates and student and staff performance.

Be aware of indoor air pollutants

Just because you can’t see or smell something, it doesn’t mean the air is clean.

In fact, any indoor environment will be polluted with biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and mold, allergens and dust particles, chemical and gaseous pollutants coming from building materials, paints, cleaning agents, inks, arts and crafts materials and more.

Take simple steps to improve the indoor air quality

1. Reduce chemical pollutants: High-efficiency room air filters with activated carbon provide a quick and simple way to remove gaseous pollutants. Switch to low emission cleaning products and avoid introducing more chemicals into the rooms as much as possible.
   
2. Control humidity: High humidity levels can lead to active mold growth and helps mildew, bacteria and dust mites to thrive. Keeping the humidity under 51 percent with the help of dehumidifier systems and using a room air filter with a medical-grade HEPA or UV germicidal filtration can help keep these types of contaminants under control.
3. Counter carbon-dioxide: A lack of proper ventilation and fresh air supply to students and staff has profound negative effects on their ability to concentrate and retain information. Make sure the ventilation systems are adequate, and that an adequate amount of fresh air is introduced into the different rooms.
4. Reduce allergens and asthmagens: A growing number of children are suffering from asthma and asthma-related school absences are common. High-efficiency air purifiers with HEPA and UV germicidal filtration can capture common asthma triggers such as pet dander (brought in on kids- clothing), roaches, dust mites and mold.

Source: Buildings.com

Choose the best all-in-one solution

AllerAir's 5000 and 6000 Series
remove gases, odors and particles.

AllerAir offers high-efficiency, portable room air purifiers with a powerful activated carbon + HEPA filtration system and optional UV germicidal filtration for the most enhanced filter system in the industry.

With a wide range of models and sizes and even larger, industrial air cleaners for universities and schools offered by AllerAir’s industrial division Electrocorp, AllerAir’s product line can meet any educational facility’s needs and requirements.

Call for more information and options: 1-888-852-8247.

More than 2000 unhealthy air alerts declared in the U.S. so far this year

Bad air outdoors can lead to poor
indoor air quality as well.

It seems no community is immune to bad air in 2011. From national parks to cozy sea-side suburbs more than 2,000 “code orange” air quality alerts occurred nationwide in just the first seven months of this year, mostly due to smog.

Code orange means it unsafe for children, older adults and people with breathing problems to go outside.

The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed government air pollution data and found that California and New Jersey lead the country in dangerous air days.

However, rural states such as Maine, Vermont and Kansas also had a number of dangerous air days this year, partly because of smog blown in from other states.

Surprisingly, nine national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains and Acadia National Park had dangerous air days this year because of smog blown in from other areas.

“The bottom line is that we have way too many days in way too many places when the air is unsafe for our kids,” said NRDC Clean Air Director John Walke. “The EPA needs to quit stalling on tougher smog standards promised years ago and protect our children, our elderly and all of us.”

Under standards set in 1997, the EPA considers air to be unhealthy if levels of ozone - the primary ingredient in smog - reach 84 parts per billion.

The Bush administration lowered the ozone standard to 75 parts per billion in 2008, but ignored unanimous recommendations of its science advisors that a truly protective standard needed to be set within 60-70 parts per billion.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has proposed adopting more protective standards within that range, and the agency is expected to announce its decision soon.

For detailed data on the NRDC analysis, see here.

Indoor air more polluted than outdoor air

AllerAir's air purifiers with carbon and
HEPA help clean the ambient air.

The EPA's own studies have also shown that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, so what does this latest analysis mean for our indoor air quality?

“We can reasonably draw the conclusion that this dangerous pollution is also making its way indoors,” says Stephanie Bristow, an Air Quality Expert with AllerAir.

“Our homes today are so tightly sealed, that this pollution is actually being trapped inside and if you aren’t filtering your air, unfortunately your lungs are acting as your air filter.”

Bristow recommends either an AllerAir room air purifier with HEPA and activated carbon or a whole home unit which can be ducted into an existing HVAC system.

“Today an air cleaner is just as vital as in your home as proper humidity levels and ventilation,” she says. “Ignoring your air quality is no longer an option.”

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Interested in learning more about improving your indoor air quality with a high efficiency air purifier?
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