We all suffer from respiratory illnesses, be it an itchy throat, a runny nose, watery eyes, coughs, sneezes, allergies or asthma. And we look for ways to ease our burden and pain. And so we turn to air purifiers.
We only drink a couple of liters of water a day in general, but we breathe in thousands of liters of air every day. So please, take look at the types of air purifiers we have on the market today with their merits and limitations.
What we are going to be looking at, are these air purification mechanisms: Thermodynamic sterilization system, Ionisation, Filtration, UV, Oxidation and De-humidification. And the judgement criteria we look at will be: Noise levels they generate, sizes, maintenance costs, ozone generation and their efficiency at removing Mold, fungus, bacteria, viruses.
1. The Thermodynamic sterilization system, (TSS), is a type of sterilization that uses heat to sterilize the air. Air is heated to a high temperature and that kills all types of micro level organisms in the air and then cooled down and released into the ambiance. So it requires no filters to replace. And no ozone generation, actually, (TSS) reduces ozone, so it is environmentally friendly. (TSS) can reduce mold and fungus spores, as well as bacteria and viruses without any side effects. All these micro level compounds are incinerated, so the (TSS) type is non-toxic and natural.
2. For air purifiers that use Ionization, these have a little noise, but require regular cleaning and maintenance and the same can also be required for their surrounding environment. They must have their filters replaced and that adds to their maintenance costs. Some ionization products may generate ozone, a hazardous toxin to breathe in because it damages respiratory tissue. Its efficiency is limited to mold, fungus and bacterial removal since it clumps them together so that they can be removed to wherever they may fall in the room. Unless the Ionization device secretes ozone it cannot remove viruses.
3. For Air purifiers that use filtration, these can be noisy, potentially bulky and require regular cleaning, maintenance and replacement of multiple filters. Electricity consumption may make it more costly, depending on the type of air purifier brand. However, these devices do not generate any ozone and they are efficient at mold and fungus removal only if properly maintained. Please note that, the removal of bacteria depends on filter quality and generally viruses are untouchable by filters. Because filters work by catching and trapping these micro particles, but viruses are 10 to a 100 times smaller than bacteria. Filters may have chemical coatings and filters can be dangerous to your health if they are not maintained properly. They may also retain odors or start to smell if they become moldy.
4. For Air Purifiers that use Ultra Violet radiation or (UV), these can generate some noise and can be bulky depending on the brand. Maintenance just requires changing bulbs which adds to costs, but there is no cleaning needed. And although UV Air purifiers generate ozone, they are partially effective on reducing mold, fungus, bacteria and viruses.
5. For Air purifiers that use oxidization, these make some noise and can be potentially bulky depending on the brand. They also require regular cleaning, maintenance and their catalysts may require replacement. So catalysts and maintenance costs add to their expense. They are efficient in removing mold, fungus and bacteria, but limited in their reduction of viruses. However, Oxidation can react with common chemicals, like cleaning products to produce toxic compounds. And negative ions coming from it, that purify the air, have a low life span, especially in humid conditions.
6. A common misconception is that a humidifier or dehumidifier is an air purifier. They are not air purifiers. They are not efficient at reducing mold and fungus at all. In fact mold and fungus thrive on humid conditions, so humidifying devices are no good for air purification purposes. A humidifier just leaves the mold and fungus alone or create a more suitable environment for them. Humidifiers and de-humidifiers cannot remove bacteria or viruses, with the reason being that just because the air is less humid does not mean it is more pure. Bacteria and viruses can thrive in humid and non-humid conditions as well. And without regular maintenance risks of contaminated air increase. So, de-humidification has limited use and is dangerous to health if not properly maintained. Too much humidity or too little can cause adverse side effects, like dry skin, or infections.
So the take home message here is take home a good one. Whenever you look for an air purifier, look for a good one and be aware of the type of technology they use.
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Help your community and spread the word so you can make the lives of people suffering from respiratory illnesses better and perhaps save the lives of people suffering from chronic asthma.
The information is all on-line, do your research and search or Google the TSS Air purification system.
And check out this informative, easy to read presentation about the TSS system, http://www.slideshare.net/HeshamSaleh1/airfree-air-purifiers
So that the next time you or anyone decides to ever purchase an air purifier, this information can help you move decisively forward.
