Ozone Generators are Not Air Cleaners
There are companies that claim to clean your air with the removal of ozone. There is no scientific proof to support this claim. The EPA has found that while that low levels of ozone may reduce some airborne virus materials, the percentage falls short by 5 to 10 times the public health standards. Even at high concentrations, ozone is thought to be ineffective toward contaminants.
Ozone is only helpful in higher atmospheres where it helps filter ultraviolet radiation caused by the sun. Ozone that is used in our breathable atmosphere is harmful to our respiratory systems. Added with other pollutants and hydrocarbons that are already floating in our air by automobiles and chemicals, ozone is not a good mix.
For over a century, health professionals have refuted the claim that ozone generators can safely and effectively control indoor air pollution but manufacturers continue to make them, convincing the public that the zap of ozone to pollutants can clean the air.
Air cleaners are designed to be an air to your respiratory system and not harm with ozone that are not safe for our bodies in our atmosphere. Be careful when choosing an air cleaner that is called an ozone generator. Look for mechanical or electronic air cleaners that are EPA approved or AHAM certified for best results that will not further harm your lungs.
Do Air Cleaners Guarantee Better Health?
An air cleaner is an aid to better health but there are no guarantees that your symptoms of allergies or asthma will magically disappear by using an air cleaner. Different people have different degrees of health problems and to say that an air cleaner, alone, would cure your ills would be a misnomer.
Some air cleaners are designed to remove only large particles while others remove small particles. An air cleaner also cannot remove every square inch of air in a room and clean efficiently before particles settle on furniture and other surfaces. Other allergen preventative measures have to be incorporated with air cleaners. These include frequent vacuuming, dusting, and washing of bedding at least weekly.
If you work outside of the home, you will probably notice a dramatic difference when you walk into your home due to the freshness and purity of a clean atmosphere compared to your work place. Some use an air cleaner in their bedroom to help alleviate the respiratory distress of the day and to get recharged while they sleep. After all, you can't carry around your air cleaner with you so get quality air while you can.
An air cleaner can make a large difference in your overall health but is not a cure all for your individual situation. The federal government can offer many excellent ideas for controlling allergies at www.epa.gov/asthma to help incorporate a good air cleaner with other healthy steps.
How to Know if a Portable Air Cleaner is doing the Job
A portable air cleaner can be an asset if you do not have a whole house filtration unit. It can also be easily moved from room to room, depending on where you spend most of your time. But if you are unable to see most of the particles in the air, how do you know if they are adequately being removed?
The effectiveness of air cleaners is measured by clean air delivery rate (CADR). This method was designed and currently used by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) to evaluate the amount of clean air produced by a unit.
It is difficult to measure a CADR value when your air cleaner is used in different sized rooms but it does give manufacturers a scale to compare to other units so you know how good your unit is compared to competitors. For example, given the same conditions, an air unit may be tested and deliver a rate 100 cubic feet per minute of contaminant free air. A similar sized model with the same size fan may deliver a rate of 250 cubic feet per minute. The larger the cubic feet measures, the more effective the unit.
You can find CADR values on the Internet by visiting www.cadr.org to make the best choice in portable air cleaners for your home.
When an Air Cleaner is not an Air Cleaner
Most people think that an air cleaner just takes in the air, cleans it and spits it back out. This is an untrue statement. Different air cleaners perform different types of functions and knowing the function of each is important.
There are two basic types of air cleaning units that remove particles from the air, electronic air cleaners, and mechanical air filters. Mechanical air filters remove polluted particles from the air by bringing in the air and capturing the particles on filter materials. Electronic air cleaners use an ionization section within the unit to give any particles an electrical charge then they fall to flat plates where they are oppositely charged.
Also classified as an electronic air cleaner is the ionizer that zaps the particles then releases into the air where they hunt for flat surfaces like walls and furniture. Gas-phase air filters are yet another type that removes gases and odors by using activated carbon. These are not recommended as they do not remove particles from the air but are specific only to a few select gasses.
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) cleaners will destroy bacteria, allergens, and molds in the air or growing on HVAC surfaces, such as ductwork or the cooling coils on refrigeration units but also produce ozone gas that irritates your lungs. This seems a little counterproductive, doesn't it?
As air quality becomes more relevant in today's society, be careful in choosing an air cleaner that will perform the duties that you wish to see. All air cleaners are not alike in what they are designed to do.