Air purifiers, sometimes called air cleaners, help in cleaning the air in our homes by removing dust, dander, pollen, odors, and other irritants in the air. Several different technologies are used by air purifiers to tackle indoor air pollution. While most of these technologies work, some might be harmful to your health.
In this post, I’ll cover the different popular air purifiers so you can make an informed decision while shopping for one. Enjoy.
HEPA, short for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, is one of the most common types of air purification technology around. HEPA filters trace their origin back in WWII, where they were developed to clean up dangerous chemicals and radioactive particles. They have grown in popularity, and HEPA filtrations are very useful in workplaces, homes, and factories where dust is a byproduct of the manufacturing process.
HEPA filters can be made of borosilicate glass fibers, plastic fibers like polypropylene, or fiberglass fibers.
According to NIOSH, for an Air filter to be classified as a HEPA filter, it has to trap 99.97% of dust particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter. To put this into perspective, a typical human air size is about 50 microns. So, 0.3 microns are several over 100 times smaller. So, how does this type of filter work?
How do HEPA Air Purifiers Work?
First, contaminated air is drawn into the air purifier using a fan. Then the fan forces the air to go through a filter where contaminants and other particles get trapped in several ways. The bigger particles get trapped by direct impact and straining. This is when the particles are large enough to get through the filter.
Particles that are smaller than 1 micron like, bacteria, will still pass through the filter. However, because they are a bit heavy, as they follow air through the air filter fiber, some of them will get trapped. This is referred to as interception.
Smaller particles that could easily pass through a HEPA filter to their freedom get trapped by a process called Brownian motion. As these particles move, they collide with air molecules and move in random patterns, which causes them to stick to the fibers of the air filter.
Application of HEPA Air Purifiers
Generally, HEPA air purifiers are used in homes to control the spread of particulate matter and both toxic and infectious agents in the air. HEPA air purifiers are best if you or a family member suffers from allergies or asthma. This is because the filter can capture mold spores, pollen, fine dust, pet dander, plus bacteria and allergens.
Activated carbon is just the normal carbon that has been processed to make it very porous, thus giving it a larger surface area for adsorption. Rather than absorbing particles, activated carbon air purifiers adsorb some gases and odor-causing molecules from the air. Activated carbon air purifiers can also be improved to filter out more different airborne chemicals through a process called chemical doping.
Despite their numerous benefits, activated carbon air purifiers rarely use a standalone carbon filter because they are not as effective against particulates. This is why many air purifiers that use activated carbon come with HEPA air filters.
How do Activated Carbon Air Purifiers work?
Activated carbon air purifiers remove air pollutants through a process known as adsorption, which is different from absorption. In absorption, the substance being removed is absorbed into the structure of the absorbent. This is how a sponge absorbs water. However, in adsorption, the substances (pollutants) stick to the outside of the carbon.
As the air gets into the air purifier and is forced via the activated carbon filters, the carbon adsorbs air pollutants, thereby trapping it. According to a paper by the Ohio Environmental Agency (2), a single gram of activated carbon can have hundreds of square meters in surface area for adsorption.
Application of Activated Carbon Air Purifiers
Air purifiers with activated carbon are especially helpful for people suffering from Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). This is a condition attributed to exposure to low levels of known gaseous chemicals such as formaldehyde found in carpets, perfumes, and other chemicals in household cleaning products. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that other types of air purifiers cannot effectively filter can be also be removed by carbon air filters. Some gases given off by smoking cigarettes or drying paint can also be removed.
Apart from chemicals, activated carbon air purifiers can also remove unpleasant odors created by various gaseous chemicals, though of course, not all of them.
Ionic air purifiers, air ionizers, or ion generators are a type of air purifier technology that grew into popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s. Part of the reasons they became a choice for many people is because they are quiet, energy-efficient, and best of all did not require regularly replacing filters, which is economical.
Ionic air purifiers come in different forms. Some fanless models rely on air currents to carry the particles, while others use a fan to speed up things. Ionic air purifiers can be standalone models or combined with other air purification technologies to improve their effectiveness.
How do Ionic Air Purifiers work?
Ionic air purifiers, unlike other types of air purifiers, do not use a filter. Instead, ionizers create negatively charged ions through a process known as corona discharge. As the negative ions get released by the air purifier, they bond with positively charged air pollutants and settle inside the air purifier or on the surfaces around your home.
There are two types of ionic air purifiers namely ion generators and electrostatic precipitators.
Ion generators release negatively charged ions into the air for purification. The negative ions bind to positively charge pollutants and fall onto surfaces in your home.
Electrostatic precipitators still employ the same idea as ion generators. However, instead of the negative ions being released into the air and settling on outside surfaces, the air purifier first pulls air using a fan. As the air passes through the air purifier, it goes through negatively and positively charged plates. The air pollutants are attracted to the plates where they can be washed off.
For this reason, electrostatic precipitators are more popular compared to ionizing air purifiers because you can easily clean the plates compared to the whole room.
Application of Ionic Air Purifiers
Ionic air purifiers are only capable of removing only particulate pollutants in the air. This includes the likes of dust, mold spores, pollen, or pet dander. Compared to other models that use HEPA filters to eliminate particulate matter, it is better going with HEPA air purifier for better efficiency.
Ionizers do not remove gaseous pollutants, odors, or VOCs from the air. On the flipside, ionic air purifiers release Ozone gas as a byproduct, which can be harmful to your lungs. Ozone also reacts with other household pollutants to form gases like formaldehyde.
Should you choose to pick an ionic air purifier, go with electrostatic precipitators. Ensure you clean the plates regularly and also the area around the air purifier preferably with a vacuum cleaner.
Ozone is a very reactive gas that is composed of three oxygen atoms. Ozone can be both man-made or naturally occurring in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Ozone in air purifiers is effective at eliminating strong odors and other airborne chemicals. Similar to air fresheners, Ozone has a very fresh scent to it. The fresh scent bundled together with the ability to remove odors makes Ozone air purifiers very appealing to consumers.
However, health concerns have arisen from the use of Ozone as an air purifying technology. According to EPA, “NO agency of the federal government has approved these devices for use in occupied spaces”.Ozone, when exhaled, can damage the lungs, cause chest pains, coughing, throat irritation, and shortness of breath.
It has also been noted by EPA that some manufacturers or vendors of Ozone air purifiers use deceptive terms like “energized oxygen” or “pure air” which suggest a healthier kind of oxygen, when in fact, things are not that way.
The state of California has banned the use of ozone air purifiers due to studies that found these machines can worsen health conditions such as asthma, which manufacturers and marketers claim they help prevent.
How do Ozone Air Purifiers work?
Ozone air purifiers, as we’ve seen, work by producing ozone. These machines can generate ozone either by corona discharge or ultraviolet radiation. Both of these methods split 02 to form individual oxygen atoms.
Once split, individual oxygen atoms recombine into three oxygen atoms, which is now called ozone. The ozone is released by pumping it into the home’s air for purification. Though it helps remove odors and kill microbes, ozone does not remove particulate matter in the air. Most ozone air purifiers will come with an ionizer to help remove particulate matter.
Application of Ozone Air Purifiers
At cozy indoor, we do not recommend using ozone air purifiers in a home setting. This is because there have been studies showing their dangers to human health and also because there are no approved ozone generators for homes by the US government.
However, in industrial applications, Ozonators have been used for decontamination, odor treatment, and eliminating pathogens, bacteria, and other microorganisms in the air, surfaces, and water.
Ultraviolet light is a type of electromagnetic radiation produced in nature by the sun. UV light works by altering the DNA or RNA of microbes rendering them harmless. There are different forms of UV light, which include UV-A (Blacklight), UV-B, and UV-C. UV-C the form of UV light that is used for purification purposes.
Historically, UV light has been used to disinfect water and other surfaces. Ultraviolet light C or UV-C is also used in hospitals to cut transmission of bacteria and other microbes that linger in patient’s rooms. UV-C is also referred to as Germicidal UV light.
In air purifiers, UV light can also be used to inactivate airborne microbes. This technology in air purifiers is referred to as UV germicidal irradiation or UVGI air purifiers.
How do UV Light Air Purifiers work?
Like most air purifiers, UV light air purifiers first begin by sucking in the air into the machine using a fan.
Inside the air purifier, there are UV lamps, which give off UV-C light. Depending on the material used for emitting the light, e.g., phosphor, quartz, the light may be not visible or blueish. Most household air purifiers use short-wave low-pressure mercury lamps to clean the air.
As air passes through the air purifier, bulbs emitting UV-C shine, thus killing microbes and other pathogens. Usually, UV light air purifiers are a combination with another filter like HEPA filters.
Factors such as the type of ultraviolet lamp used, temperature, and humidity will affect the performance.
Application of UV Light Air Purifiers
UV air purifiers can be used to target airborne microbes and other micro-organisms. They have a wide range of applications for antiviral and antibacterial purification. Most UV light air purifiers are advertised to reduce mold allergens and dust mites. The effectiveness of UV air purifiers has long been debated. The technology has also come under fire due to the production of ozone as a byproduct of the process.
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Our Best Air Purifier
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Our Best Air Purifier
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HyperHEPA filter
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HyperHEPA filter
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Best Air Purifier for Pets
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Air Purifier with UV Light Sanitizer
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Air Purifier with UV Light Sanitizer
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Wrapping Up
Each technology used in air purifiers can improve indoor air quality depending on the pollutant. Before making up your mind, first, consider the type of air pollutant found in your home.
Two types of indoor air pollutants affect air quality. They can be categorized under particulate and gaseous pollutants. Particulate matter includes dust, pollen, animal dander, particles generated from combustion appliances, and particles associated with tiny living organisms such as molds, dust mites, and bacteria. Gaseous pollutants come from combustion processes and also building materials or furnishings that use products such as adhesives, varnishes, and cleaning products.
There are also other new air cleaning technologies such as probiotics and photocatalytic air purifiers that we did not include in this list.
Apart from the type of air purifier, the size of your room, the location of the air purifier, maintenance, and features included should also be factored in while making your final decision.