Benefits of Using an Air Purifier
Concerns over air pollution levels, both indoors and out, are growing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States claims that indoor air can be five times more contaminated than outdoor air. Many airborne contaminants continue to flourish inside because indoor air is not as often circulated as outdoor air.
Air purifiers can revitalize stale air, lowering the risk of health problems due to indoor contaminants, which can cause respiratory infections, neurological disorders, or exacerbate asthmatic symptoms. Good air purifiers remove a variety of indoor air pollutants, thereby protecting our health.
So, how do air purifiers work, and what are their advantages? Let’s have a look!
Advantages of an Air Purifier
Air purifiers having HEPA-technology filters can capture about 99.7% of the airborne particulate matter (PM) flowing in your home. Removing these contaminants can result in various immediate and long-term health advantages, including improved sleep quality and life expectancy.
1) Relieves Asthma Symptoms
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma affects one in every twelve persons. People with asthma have swollen bronchial passages. When pollen, dust mites, or pet dander irritate their airways, it makes it harder for them to breathe.
Numerous cat and dog breeds shed all year round. These animals spread a lot of hair and dander into the air when they scratch themselves, which keeps circulating in the environment. Even if you don’t have pets, other things like pollen and dust mites might cause asthma attacks.
Particles of pollen are carried inside by the breeze through open windows or, if you are outside, they adhere to your clothing. The most frequent indoor allergens are dust mites, which thrive in humid conditions. Lack of fresh air raises interior humidity levels, which creates the ideal environment for dust mites to thrive. They feed on dead skin cells and swiftly proliferate in your carpet, bed, and other upholstered furniture.
While you can remove some of these pollutants by vacuuming your bed, carpet, and floors, others continue to float in the air. The likelihood of an asthma attack increases when breathing in dirty air.
Most home air purifiers have HEPA filters, which trap all these contaminants so you can breathe clean air. HEPA filters have multi-layered meshes with fine, hair-thin fiberglass threads. These meshes trap pollen, dust mites, and pet dander floating in the surrounding of your house, allowing you to breathe clean air.
Some air purifiers have removable pre-filters that catch larger particles, saving the HEPA filters for trapping tiny germs. With such a system, you can extend the life of your air purifier. Asthma-related breathing problems are less likely when you have an effective air purifier that keeps your indoor air free of pollutants.
2) Eradicates Detrimental Chemicals from Indoor Environments
Our ability to keep out external contaminants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide is independent of whether or not we close our doors and windows. These gasses are frequently present in locations with heavy auto traffic and can enter your homes. The National Library of Medicine’s research demonstrates that exposure to carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide PM raises your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Even if you don’t reside in a big city with a lot of traffic, toxins from various cleaning products can still contaminate your home environment. Numerous common household cleaners contain hazardous substances like phthalates, chlorine, and ammonia. Small doses of exposure to these chemicals may be safe, but repeated exposure can cause serious health problems such as tumors, cancer, and cardiovascular and neurological ailments.
Air purifiers using activated carbon can remove these chemical impurities, reducing the risk of numerous health issues. This carbon filtering technology employs a highly porous form of carbon to capture contaminants while recycling fresh air back into the room.
3) Removes Unpleasant Odors
Some compounds, such as gasoline, benzene, and formaldehyde, degrade at room temperature and emit an off-gassing odor. These chemicals, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are typically found in paints, aerosol sprays, upholstered furniture, and air fresheners. VOC odors can produce nausea, shortness of breath, and even impair cognitive function.
Other NIH research indicates that low VOC levels in the surroundings boost productivity and performance. Air purifiers with HEPA and activated carbon filters are effective at trapping gases and particles, reducing pollution in the indoor environment.
If you have guests visiting, you won’t have to worry about them being bothered by smoke or the odor of cooking oil and spices. Air purifiers absorb all odors, leaving your space fresh and clean.
4) Reduces the Likelihood of Airborne Diseases
Microscopic pathogens floating around spread airborne infections like the flu and the common cold. When one of the family members has the flu, it is not uncommon for the rest of the family to become ill also. It occurs because everyone is breathing the same air, contaminated with bacteria and viruses.
HEPA filters capture these germs and viruses. By removing the source of airborne infections, you can protect yourself and your family from them. If you live with children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system, using air purifiers is a necessity for you.
5) Improves Sleep
Allergens found inside, such as germs, fungi, and dust mites, can cause allergies or hay fever. Hay fever causes a runny nose that might linger for many weeks. Common allergy symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, a sore throat, and watery eyes, all of which can interrupt your sleep.
Inadequate sleep promotes daytime tiredness, which reduces productivity the next morning. To avoid these sleep disruptions, utilize HEPA air purifiers, which filter out the majority of allergens in your room. A better night’s sleep comes from breathing cleaner air.
6) Removes Harmful Radon
The degradation of natural radioactive elements such as uranium present in certain building materials creates radon gas. Rocks, dirt, and granite are examples of such building materials that produce colorless and odorless gas radon.
Keep an eye out for cracks on the walls, floors, or plasterwork. These gaps allow cancer-causing radon gas into your home. Cancer develops as a result of radon gas damaging the cell linings of the lungs. According to a 2013 EPA estimate, radon gas exposure may be responsible for up to 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year.
Use air purifiers to lessen the risk of radon pollution. Radon particles and radon gas can be captured by HEPA and activated carbon filters, shielding you from harmful effects.
7) Eliminates Hazardous Asbestos Particles
From the 1940s until the 1960s, asbestos roofing materials and insulation pipes were widely common. You might be exposed to asbestos particles if you work or live in an old commercial building. As these structures age, they shed materials that release asbestos dust into the surrounding air.
Asbestos fibers can result in lung disease that is characterized by tissue scarring if you breathe them in. Some signs of asbestosis include swelling in the neck or face, loss of appetite, and trouble swallowing. This illness also increases the Lung cancer risk.
Use HEPA air purifiers that catch asbestos particles to protect yourself against asbestosis.
8) Can Increase Life Expectancy
Indoor air pollution can harm your cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems. Chemicals and gasses emitted by common household items may accumulate in your lungs. Airborne particles are so small that they cross the blood-brain barrier, affecting your brain and cognitive abilities.
Even small particles are captured by a good air purifier, resulting in superior air quality.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Air purifiers have one or more filters as well as a fan. The fan (or, in some cases, a system of internal fans) draws in air, which then travels through the internal filters. These filters capture pollutants like dust, pollen, and bacteria and return clean air to the room. This filtration procedure promotes healthy indoor air circulation.
Common Types of Air Purifiers Available in the Market:
While most air purifiers use HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, some use other filters such as activated carbon or UV light. Certain technologically advanced air purifiers combine two or three different types of filters. This section discusses the various types of air purifiers and how they work:
- HEPA Filters: HEPA filters in air purifiers can capture pollutants as small as 0.3 microns in size. These particles are so small and are not visible to the human eye. The smallest particles visible to the human eye are at least 50 or 60 microns in size.
- Activated Carbon: Activated carbon filters in air purifiers effectively trap odors. They cannot capture viruses and bacteria in the same way that HEPA filters can.
- Electrostatic Precipitators: Electrostatic precipitators in air purifiers use high voltage electrical energy to charge particles passing through the filters. The dead pathogens continue accumulating on the electrostatic plates. Therefore, it is crucial to change these plates on a regular basis to maintain the filter’s efficiency, which raises your maintenance costs. Electrostatic precipitators also emit ozone, a reactive gas that can harm your lungs.
- Ultraviolet Light Air Purifiers: These air filters employ UV rays to eliminate airborne bacteria. Before purchasing this type of purifier, ensure that it does not produce ozone, as some UV light air cleaners do.
- Ozone Generators: These purifiers absorb odors. Because they generate significant levels of ozone that render the room unusable for the next 24 hours, people frequently utilize them in hotels. Shortness of breath, a cough, and chest pain can all be brought on by exposure to ozone, even at modest doses. Long-term exposure harms your lungs and makes respiratory conditions worse.
Final Conclusion by The Triad Aer:
The need for air purifiers has increased due to a lack of ventilation in households. They reduce interior air pollution, but their filters have a limit. Some filters last only two to three months, whereas others can last much longer. Regularly check the air filter indicator to ensure that you change filters at the appropriate times and maintain a clean indoor environment.