Ionic Air Purifiers - Hazardous To Your Health
What are ionic air purifiers?
An ionic air purifier is an air filtration device that uses voltage to charge molecules in the air. Ionize means to electrically charge. Most of the air purifiers for commercial use have been designed to produce negatively charged molecules. What this means is that the air molecules now have an extra electron making them negatively charged. The purification process is supposed to take place via an electrically charged plate within the air ionizer that is positively charged. In this way, ionic air purifiers depend on the old adage, opposites attract. The positively charged plate is supposed to attract the negatively charged air particles, thus cleaning the air. The problem with this ionizing process is that it produces ozone as a byproduct. The electric fields that are used to create ions (charging the particles in the air so that they are attracted to the plate and pulled out of the oxygen that you breathe) generate ozone.
What is ozone?
Ground level ozone is an oxygen molecule that is highly unstable and toxic. Ozone reacts with other gases in the air easily. It is volatile and dangerous. Ozone is the main component in smog. Ground level ozone should not be confused with stratospheric ozone. Stratospheric ozone is the layer of ozone that exists high up in the atmosphere. This beneficial layer of ozone filters out and blocks some of the ultraviolet light that is attempting to enter our atmosphere. While stratospheric ozone is extremely helpful to us, ground level ozone is a nuisance that a variety of local governments as well as federal governments have been battling to decrease and control for years.
What can ozone exposure cause?
The effects of ozone exposure differ depending on how long you were exposed to the ozone and at what concentration. The affects of ozone exposure can include a combination of the following to varying degrees:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Irritation and inflammation of the lining of the respiratory system.
- Chest tightness or pain.
- Impaired breathing/ shortness of breath.
- Irritation of throat.
- Irritation of lung tissue.
- Deaden sense of smell.
- Permanent lung damage.
- Compromise the body's ability to fight off respiratory infections.
It is important to note that exposure to ozone can also exacerbate the symptoms of those of you suffering from asthma and allergies. What is so surprising and disturbing about this fact is that the vast majority of people who purchase an ionic air cleaner do so because of an already existing condition. That is, most of the people who get an air ionizer do so because someone in the home is currently suffering from asthma or allergy related symptoms. Additionally, surveys have shown that consumers who purchase an ionic air cleaner for air purification run it frequently. Ionic air purifiers are purchased, turned on and left on for most of the day as well as for most of the year. Given that these machines are left running for long periods of time uninterrupted, an air ionizer has the potential to release an incredible amount of ozone into the air in your home. It is possible that the ionic air cleaner that you have purchased to help alleviate your symptoms is, in fact, aggravating them further! Ozone hurts your body instead of helping it. If you have an ionic air purifier that emits ozone as a product of the purification system, you are worsening the indoor pollution in your home by your efforts to help lower it. This counterproductive situation is one of the main reasons why both Consumer Reports and the American Lung Association have condemned ionizers and ionic air purifiers as being dangerous and unproductive.
Do ionic air purifiers clean the air?
What is even more astounding is the finding that an ionic air purifier is ineffective at removing pollutants from the air. Recent studies have found that air ionizer devices tested poorly in their ability to remove particulates from the air such as pollen, dust and smoke. Consumers purchase an ionic air purifier with the hope that the device will filter out these particulates, making the home a healthier breathing environment for loved ones. Many consumers suffering from allergies or asthma or both have purchased an air ionizer under the distinct impression that it would clean the air and help to relieve their worst symptoms. As it turns out, ionic air purifiers are not only dangerous because they release the pollutant ozone as a byproduct of their "purification" process, but they also perform poorly at the very task that they are designed to accomplish. An ozone producing ionic air purifier does not adequately address the problem of indoor air pollution. They do not clear the air of dust, mold, pollen, smoke, or chemicals which are all common symptom triggers for consumers who purchased them.
What are the alternatives?
If you are looking to purchase an air purifier for you or your family and you want to make sure that it is both effective and safe, you need to make sure that it has a True Medical Grade HEPA filter. The HEPA filter technology has been used in hospitals around the world for years. HEPA technology is trusted in places where air purification is not just something that people strive for, but something that they demand. HEPA filters are a natural way to purify your air. Both the Austin Air and IQAir purifier lines use medical grade HEPA technology to clean the air that you breathe, leaving it pure and safe for you as well as your loved ones. This incredibly effective and proven technology filters out 99.97% of all particulates from the air down to 0.3 microns in diameter. The HEPA filter sets to work and leaves the air that you breathe virtually allergen free. You will sleep better and experience more energy throughout your day simply by increasing the quality of the air that you breathe. All of our room air purifiers are ozone free so you can be at ease knowing that the most valuable natural resource that you have, your breathing air, is in the hands of long trusted professionals.