The Dangers of Ionic Air Purifiers
Do you know what the difference is between an indoor air cleaner and an air purifier? Air cleaning refers to the filtering of harmful contaminants and particles from the surrounding air. Room air purifiers, on the other hand, are designed to kill airborne microorganisms, mold spores, and other viruses. So-called ionic air purifiers do not, in reality, purify the air at all. This is because they do nothing to kill off airborne microorganisms. The name can be misleading, as they are really air cleaners.
How Ionic Air Purifiers work.
A negative ion generator is the main part of an ionizer or ionic air purifier. In addition, guess what - it continually generates and emits a stream of negative ions. Think back to your science lessons in school and you may remember that negative ions are molecules or atoms that have lost an electron. These negative ions are attracted to the positive particles in the air. Ultimately, both the negative ion and the positive particles join together in the air. This union results in the particles in the ionic air becoming too heavy. Due to their own weight, they ultimately drop from the air to the floor. This removes all sorts of particles from the air.
The Quiet Air Cleaner
An ionic air purifier is the ideal choice for many people simply because the science behind it seems very logical. Another reason for their popularity is that they use little energy and make no noise. In addition, it is usually unnecessary to change the air filters of ionic air purifiers, unlike many other types of air purifiers.
What is the Black Dust from Ionic Air Purifiers?
By virtue of the way they work, ionic air purifiers will cause particles in the air to fall to the floor. However, they can also fall to other surfaces in the room. Most, if not all surfaces in the room are positively charged. Therefore, the particles falling from the ionic air are attracted to the room's surfaces. As a result, the area around the ionic air purifier tends to get dark and dirty.
While it is true that ionic air purifiers are able to remove airborne particles, the downside is that are easily returned to the air. This can happen because they have dropped onto the floor and other surfaces. Sudden drafts or other movement within the room will easily stir them back up. Ultimately, the harmful particles are returned to the air.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, some ionic air cleaners include electrostatic precipitators. They work as a filtration device that effectively traps harmful particles onto charged metal plates. To ensure their efficiency, these metal plates need to be cleaned regularly.
Consumer Reports on Ionic Air Purifiers
Consumer Reports conducted a study into ionic air purifiers in 2005. This research resulted in the conclusion that ionic air purifiers did not actually work when it came to air cleaning. In addition, they found that an ionic air purifier could actually add harmful levels of ozone to the air.
In high enough levels, ozone has been found to be toxic. In fact, studies suggest that ozone can cause damage to the lungs and the respiratory tract.
The Healthier Option
If you want to keep you air healthy, an ionic air purifier is probably not the best answer. In fact, your goal should not be to clean the air after it becomes unhealthy.
In other words, why not try to keep the air healthier in the first place. Doing away with carpets and rugs, which harbour all manner of pollutants, is a good first step to healthier air.
Another good tip is a stop burning scented candles and incense sticks inside your house. It is also good advice to install outdoor venting fans in the kitchen and bathroom to help air circulation. Whenever possible, give your house a good airing by opening windows.
These natural air purifier techniques will work better than any ionic air purifier on the market will.
More on Ionic Air Purifiers and Ozone
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Comments on The Dangers of Ionic Air Purifiers »
Sandra @ 7:23 pm
Your consumer reports link does not take me too consumer reports. I wanted to go to their site to check out your quote that they said ionic air purifiers produce unhealthy levels of ozone. Please provide source of this quote. I would like to see the research to back this up.
Ionizers emmit very little by-product o-zone as do many products in our homes including electronic air cleaners. I know someone who had an ionizer and ozone producer in his office and he had someone test the ozone levels in his office to be sure they weren't too high and they turned out to be lower than the levels outside! So how could an ionizer the only emmits small amounts of by-product ozone produce unhealthy levels of ozone. This statement is simply unfounded.
Also, ionized dust does not easily fly up off the floor as stated in your article because the ionized particles are heavier, and if it does fly up it falls back down quickly because of their weight. Ask any asthma sufferer and they can attest to this and they know because they are so sensitive to any particles in the air.
I have cats in my home and a very good ionizer and my daughter's friend who is allergic to cats is not bothered by the cat dander in our home. It relly works! Asthma and allergy sufferers can greatly benefit from ionizers and should never be discouraged from this very effective form of relief. These statements really ought not to be made unless there are proven testing results to back them up.
alan @ 8:52 pm
Hi Sandra
The Consumer Reports article published in 2005 was to do with the Sharper Image air purifier, an AP article which can be found on MSN at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7391185/ explains the background to the court case that followed.
There is also an updated report on the Consumer Reports website at -
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/news/2007/02/settlement-in-sharper-image-ionic-breeze-class-action-2-07/overview/0702_sharper-image.htm
and another at -
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/air-cleaners/ionizing-air-cleaners-air-cleaners-the-truth-behind-the-accolades-505/index.htm
The ionized dust will certainly fly around the room as a result of sudden drafts in that room which is why I wrote in the article -
"Sudden drafts or other movement within the room will easily stir them back up. Ultimately, the harmful particles are returned to the air."
The whole idea behind this article was to show that for one, a lot of ionizer air purifiers out there are not as good as they are advertised to be and also the fact that too much ozone is not good for you or your overall health. If you run an ionizer constantly in an enclosed room, the build up of ozone can increase above safe levels. Low ozone levels can certainly be effective but too much can work against you rather that for you.
roberta @ 5:06 am
i just bought an ionic air purifier thinking it would be very safe for myself and my animals. now reading articles and comments about the purifiers so called dangers i dont know whether to use it or take it back to the store, what is the truth, is there really dangers or not. any medical data and any documented medical injuries or illnesses caused by them.