HEPA Filters - Expert Recommended
The use of an air purifier HEPA filter is recommended by many reputable organizations for its effectiveness at removing lung-damaging particulates from the air.
HEPA Filter History and Usage
Designed in the 1940's, HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters were relied on during the Manhattan Project to prevent the potential spreading of airborne radioactive contaminants. HEPA was commercialized in the 1950's, its trademark bearing great weight in the realm of air purifiers. Industries of higher technology including Aerospace, healthcare, hospitals, the computer industry, nuclear power and fuels, as well as pharmaceutical processors all became (and continue to further) their investment in the growing need our society has for HEPA filters.
The HEPA air filter is made from fine fibers that are pressed together into a paper material, then pleated to provide the largest surface area possible. The paper then acts like a net that captures and holds particles as the air passes through. Often perceived as a sieve, an air purifier HEPA filter actually traps particles and pollutants with its mat of randomly arranged borosilicate fibers. This is the most highly effective method of filtration, which is actually a three part strategy. To begin with, the HEPA filters fibers intercept the particles, impeding the straight trajectory of any airstream. Then impaction is applied, and those same trusted fibers break the flow of larger particles attempting to follow the airstream's natural curve. Through this second step, the HEPA filter not only won't let particles through, it also won't let them sneak around the bends. And then, just to be certain, diffusion is introduced. Diffusion occurs when a collision occurs between gas molecules and the very smallest particles, cutting them off at the pass. With these three incredibly effective facets of filtration, HEPA filters are able to guarantee stopping 99.97% of all pollutants.
What leading authorities say about HEPA Filters:
American Lung Association: "A HEPA filter is the most efficient filter for removing small particles which can be breathed deep into the lungs. In most cases, these small particles are the ones that penetrate deep into the lungs, causing health problems. Look for an air purifier with a HEPA air filter that can effectively trap large and small particles, including pollen, dust mites, pet hair and dander, and mold and mildew."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Portable HEPA air purifiers are proven to be effective as a means of infection control in health care environments. An air purifier HEPA filter will effectively reduce the concentration of Aspergillus spores (which range from 1.5 um to 6 um) to below measurable levels (100- 02). Therefore, HEPA filters can be expected to remove infectious M tuberculosis droplet nuclei from contaminated air."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security "recommends the use of a portable HEPA air purifier to help trap microscopic airborne contaminants, including biological agents that could be released in a terrorist attack. Once trapped within a HEPA filter, the contaminants are neutralized and prevented from entering your body and making you sick. A HEPA filter is excellent at eliminating dander, dust, molds, smoke, biological agents and other contaminants."
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: "A HEPA filter is best applied in situations where high collection efficiency of submicron PM (particulate matter) is required, such as applications involving chemical, biological, and radioactive PM. HEPA air cleaners are recommended for the removal of indoor air pollutants, such as pollen, mold, dust and other irritants that can aggravate respiratory ailments."
Dr. Philip M. Tierno, Jr., director of Clinical Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology at the Tisch Hospital, New York University Medical Center and Mt. Sinai Medical Center: "Without question, using an air purifier HEPA filter gives you an added degree of security. HEPA filters are used in operating rooms, ICUs, and in a wide variety of surgical areas to purify the air. An air purifier HEPA filter is not only quick and effective, but it's relatively inexpensive. When properly used, it's one of the best means of helping to ensure good, quality air."
Clifford W. Bassett, MD, a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy & Immunology and director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York: "Over the last 10 years, the incidents of allergy and asthma in children and adults have increased tremendously. There are more than 57 million Americans now suffering from varying degrees of respiratory problems. The use of an air purifier HEPA filter as part of an overall plan to help maintain cleaner air is highly recommended."
In the world of purified air filtration, the world we inhabit and breathe within, we here at Clean Air Plus can safely say that there is no higher, more effective, or cost efficient method to choose from than the HEPA filter. Because we stand 100% behind this maxim, as do leaders in the medical, electronic, and industrial fields, all of the air purifiers we offer feature medical grade HEPA filters. Because we are committed to offering only the best air purifiers, for us, and therefore also for you, the choice is a simple one.