Air purifier technology is evolving in response to alarming increases in asthma and allergies caused polluted air in the home. Indoor air pollution has its largest impact on very young children, women, and the infirm, because these groups spend much of their time indoors. Indoor air is a complex mix of chemicals, allergens and particles that react in ways that could potentially harm human health.
While measuring the primary chemical emissions from products begins to address some of these issues, it still does not adequately predict all of the chemicals that might be present in indoor environments. Indoor air is easier to control with air filters than outdoor air. A few common asthma and allergy triggers found in the home are from pets, cockroaches, dust mites, strong odors and fumes, wood smoke, tobacco smoke, hot or cold air and indoor molds.
The following article provides information about the current state of air purifier technology and their availability.
Air Purifier Technology For Your Home
Air purifiers are used to clean the air in homes, offices, and other closed spaces. People who suffer from allergies tend to use air purifiers because of the health benefits they afford, especially for asthmatics. The general public is turning toward the use of air purifiers as well, simply because of the health benefits associated with breathing cleaner air.
People spend most of their day inside, which is why the quality of indoor air is so important. On top of this fact, rooms are tightly sealed and don’t allow enough air to flow freely. Studies have shown that indoor air quality is actually much worse than the air outside!
There are several types of pollutants that contribute to poor indoor air quality. Air purifiers have been designed to target dust, mold, spores, pollen, pet dander, and cigarette smoke. If you want to improve your overall health and well-being, installing a modern air purifier is probably a good idea.
A decent air purifier is not difficult to find. In fact, a large number of companies manufacture air cleaners and have a wide variety of models available for purchase. Of course, if you buy a higher quality air cleaner, it will do a much better job of cleaning the air. Quality air cleaners keep harmful elements, such as dust and bacteria, out of the air and eradicate any allergens that may be affecting you.
At first the cost of an air purifier may discourage you from making the purchase, but many people decide to make the investment in an air purifier in order to benefit from the positive long-term effects of having one installed in their home. The list of air purifiers on the market is a long one, so you will have a lot of choice when it comes time to purchase an air cleaner.
Read through air purifier reviews before making a final decision, so you can get to know what types of air cleaners are out there. Air purifier reviews are an excellent source of information. Also, you may want to make a few considerations before deciding to buy an air cleaner. For instance, what is the purpose of purchasing an air cleaner? Are you looking for air cleaners that will help you with allergy symptoms? How many rooms will need the use of the air cleaner?
Always take into account the needs of your household when deciding what air cleaners to consider. For example, an ionic breeze home air filter uses ions to purify the air, which is a great way to clean the air without making too much noise. An ionic breeze machine is one of the newer technologies to enter the market in the past few years - the ionizer is a clever component of this type of home air filter that makes it work so well. Without an ionizer, the ionic breeze device wouldn’t be able to function as efficiently.
In general, air purifiers for homes come in many different forms, so you have to choose the one that’s right for you, whether it be an ionic air purifier, or a HEPA filter device. HEPA filters are an advanced technology that claims to be able to remove up to 99.97% of the dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria within 0.3 microns. These filters compare quite well to ionic breeze purifiers. Ionic breeze purifiers are air purifiers for homes that many people choose over HEPA filters for the noise factor. Plus, an ionic air purifier is highly effective in small spaces.
To learn more about Air Purifier technologies, check out the Free Consumer Review Web Site.
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April 15 2008 | Air Purifiers | No Comments »
The need for asthma air purifiers is on the upswing because the incidence of asthma is increasing at such a steep rate, some are calling it an epidemic. In fact, as many as 6 million kids in the United States have it. Asthma is closely linked to persons suffering from some type of allergies. Most, but not all, people with asthma have allergies. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by recurrent episodes of breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness, termed exacerbations. The severity of exacerbations can range from mild to life threatening.
One way of controlling asthma attacks is by using a good Asthma Air Purifier. The article that follows provides detailed information about these devices and the need to use them in the home where there is an asthma sufferer.
Asthma Air Purifier - An Essential Tool to Reduce Attacks in Your Home
Asthma is a prevalent modern disease that appears to be on the rise. The causes are not entirely known, but many asthmatics and parents of asthmatic children have learned some of the triggers that lead to an attack. A good asthma air purifier in the home can help reduce the level of these triggers, and thus help prevent further asthma attacks.
Asthma is a kind of allergic response in which the airways in the lungs become irritated and swell up, restricting airflow. It can be a very frightening experience, when getting a breath of air feels nearly impossible. Young children in particular can be traumatized by asthma attacks, because it is difficult to get them to calm down when the reaction is occurring, and calm is important in mitigating the seriousness of the attack. Unfortunately, asthma is becoming more and more common in our industrialized world.
Although we tend to think of our households as being safer than outside our doors, in the case of air quality indoor air can often be worse, even in urban centers. This is because not only is the air inside essentially the same as outside, there are often trapped components that help create an unhealthy atmosphere. Some of the most common triggers for asthma attacks are house dust, mold spores, pollen, and pet dander.
Another category which is known to trigger asthma is volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s. These are a by-product of the manufacturing process of much of our household products, including carpet, furniture, paint, lacquers, all kinds of plastics, and cleaning supplies. Sensitivity to VOC’s varies, but many people experience symptoms without being aware of what the cause is.
The good news for asthmatics is that controlling many of these triggers is easily possible with a good home air purifier. Because most of the triggers can be categorized as particulates, these can be filtered out of the air flow using a good HEPA filter. HEPA filters are capable of filtering particles as small as 0.3 microns, meaning it can even catch bacteria, which are generally 0.2 to 20 microns in size. A good asthma air purifier should have a pre-filter which catches larger dust and hair first, then passes the air through a second filter to grab the most minute particles.
It is important that the filters be changed regularly, as the filters will clog up and the amount of air that can then be passed through the filter will drop. Replacement of the filters will depend on the unit, its amount of usage, and of course the condition of the air that it is filtering. Be sure to monitor the filter, especially when first using the unit, to get an idea how often it should be changed. Many units come with a filter alert system, that reminds you when it is time to change the filter.
Unfortunately when it comes to VOC’s it is much more difficult to remove them from the air due to their often minute size. The good news is that VOC ‘off-gassing’ or ‘out-gassing’ as it is known, usually only occurs for a short period of time, when a product is new. The passage of time and regular exchanges of air (with an open window, for instance) can often reduce the problem considerably.
There is a new kind of system on the market called photocatalytic air purifier which uses a sophisticated ultraviolet method to create free radicals which actually breakdown VOC’s completely. The manufacturer claims for these units are outstanding, however, even with this kind of system in place, for the asthmatic it is still important to remove irritating particles from the air as well.
The home should be a sanctuary, but unfortunately much of our modern lifestyle comes at a price. The sharp rise in asthma-sufferers is testament to this. But at least with an asthma air purifier in place, we can make our homes healthy and comfortable for all.
To find out more about the asthma air purifier and other home air purifiers, please visit:
http://www.HealthyHomeFacts.com
Tags:
air purifier,
allergies,
asthma,
asthma attack,
asthmatics,
hepa filter
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April 15 2008 | Air Purifiers | No Comments »