Living in a stuffy and congested room is not ideal for anyone’s health. There are many agents that pollute the air and make it unsafe for breathing. The inhalation of harmful particles or contaminated air may lead to allergic reactions, and people who suffer from asthma might experience breathing problems.
Also, many people rarely go out of their houses to smoke cigarettes, and the effects of this activity are quite serious. The smell of tobacco lingers in the air and in fabric for a long time. Second-hand tobacco smoke will cause medical conditions even if you yourself are not a smoker.
The solution to this problem is to adopt an indoor air purifier. The benefits of the use of this gadget might not be obvious to non-smokers, but it will protect them from a myriad of health hazards, like the fine dust flying around your house that contains microscopic bugs. You will also be protected from pet dander and mold spores.
An indoor air purifier will help you get rid of droppings and body fragments that are produced by dust mites, which are the main cause of allergic reactions. The indoor air purifier’s main task is to improve the quality of air inside the house, an office, school, or in medical institutions.
Benefits Of Air Purifiers
The demand for air purifiers is massive. That demand has driven the creation of different types of purifiers. Some are used for commercial purposes and are large units that need to be affixed to the air handler unit. There are also the stand-alone units, which are mostly used in homes, medical institutions, or even in industries.
As an indoor air purifier user, it might interest you to know that there are two basic techniques used in the process of purifying the air, including both active and passive methods.
In the active purifying process, the negatively charged ions are released into the air, making the pollutants stick to surfaces.
The passive process of air purification is the better of the two. It involves the use of air filters in the purification units to get rid of pollutants. The latter ensures that dust and other particulates are permanently obliterated from the air and are collected to be stored in filters.
The choice of the type of purifier that can be used to control the release of particulates and dust in the air is largely dependent on three factors
- the type of environment
- economic factors
- the type of pollutant.
However, if you are skeptical about the use of the indoor air filters you can always go natural.
Natural Air Filters
There are several natural methods that you can adopt. Ventilating is one. Just open your doors and windows to increase the circulation of fresh air from outside.
You can also use activated charcoal. Bamboo charcoal is a good air purification agent and works by removing toxins and bad odor in the air.
You will be amazed by what bamboo charcoal can do to air, surprisingly if well packaged in a linen bag; the agent will remove harmful bacteria, pollutants, and allergens. It will also absorb bad odor and dehumidify your living room air.
Another DIY method is the use of salt lamps. The hygroscopic property of Himalayan salt lamps enables them to purify the air. The idea here is that air pollutants, such as pollen, smoke, and dust, that are present in water molecules get trapped by the surface of the pink salt lamp. The lamps are also famous for neutralizing electronic effects.
Other methods include the use of beeswax and houseplants that absorb carbon dioxide in the air and release fresh oxygen.
Lastly, there are essential oils. Apart from purifying air, they also help improve mental concentration. Examples of useful oils include red mandarin, tea tree, and cinnamon leaf, among others.
Dangers Of Impure Air
Air pollution has been determined to be an environmental risk that caused at least 7 million deaths in the year 2012, according to Lung India. Most people don’t expect to get serious infections via indoor pollution. But it is possible.
Pollutants from within your house or office, according to the World Health Organization, can cause premature deaths. There are a variety of ailments that you can possibly acquire by simply failing to use air purifiers. Some of these include ischemic heart diseases, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Air pollution is considered the world’s largest environmental risk. The quality of air that you inhale will greatly determine the health of your lungs and other organs in the body. What is even more terrifying is the fact that air pollution impacts the brain negatively, altering cognition and behavior.
There are a number of activities that will pollute your home, or your kid’s daycare and school. You may also be exposed to pollution in private or public buildings. Most of the above-mentioned areas are where people spend a large part of their day-to-day lives.
Therefore, each day we run the risk of short- or long-term effects of air pollution. For example, in the home, many activities can cause air pollution, such as sweeping and dusting. Other outside pollutants that affect our homes include primitive roads that are full of dust, or houses located close to textile industries.
All the above-mentioned agents contribute to indoor pollution, which is why you need to have or purchase an indoor air purifier.
Long-Term Potential Problems
Heat could also contribute to health problems, but when you use indoor air purifiers you will save on short- and long-term medical expenses. For example, it cuts down on the likelihood of contracting pneumonia or bronchitis.
Long-term ailments that could result from impure air include lung cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory diseases. In addition, the particulate matter present in air pollutants can cause oxidative injury to your airway that would eventually lead to inflammation, and worse still to remodeling, which would increase sensitization.
You might also want to consider the location of your house. Be sure to stay away from residential houses that are located in near manufacturing industries. Chemical and steel rolling industries, for example, could be dangerous. Chronic exposures from the above-mentioned industries could lead to the development of atherosclerosis, and acute exposure will cause changes in platelet activation and coagulation.
There are different types of indoor air purifiers that can either be placed in the bedroom or living room, the benefit of placing the gadget in the bedroom is that some allergens live in mattresses. You, therefore, have to improve the quality of air in these areas as it will positively impact your families’ respiratory and vascular health.
Children and older adults that suffer from asthma will also benefit from improved indoor air. You might not have much control over the air purification procedures in your kid’s school or in your place of work.
However, you can certainly help alleviate the effects of polluted air at home.
Features And Types Of Air Purifiers
The HEPA indoor air purifier
High-Efficiency Particulates Air (HEPA) filters are required to remove 99.95% of airborne particles with a diameter either greater than or equal to 0.3 micrometers.
In addition, the resistance of the filter to pressure or airflow drop is estimated to be around 300 pascals as a nominal volumetric flow rate. Therefore, if you want to purchase a HEPA filter, beware of companies that adopt the term “HEPA” to deceive users by assuring them that their air filters meet the HEPA standard.
The above term does not have any type of legal or scientific application. Most products that use the term barely meet the qualification standards of HEPA. The filters may meet some of the HEPA standards but might not have been tested in a laboratory for efficacy.
According to Lung India, the HEPA filter was found to have the capacity to capture a substantial amount of airborne allergens and dust particles which lead to better respiratory health. The HEPA air cleaners have also been proved to work well where pets such as cats and dogs are kept. Nocturnal symptoms such as a stuffy nose are alleviated by the indoor air purifier.
In addition, the HEPA filter has evolved and can be used in different environments apart from the home, such as in the bio-medical industry and in aircraft.
The successful mechanisms of the HEPA air filter are dependent on three functions:
- interception of the particles that are flown close to the filter fibers, which will then adhere to the filter
- capture of large particles which become embedded into the filter fiber
- diffusion, a process which occurs because of how the microscopic particles interact with other surrounding molecules. In this process, the molecules move in a zig-zag pattern. The motion slows down the particle’s path via the HEPA filter, thus increasing the probability of them being captured by impaction or interception.
Change your HEPA filter at least once every month.
Electrostatic Filters
These types of filters have plates that are used to trap the charged particles. Wash them frequently to make them effective for reuse.
Electrostatic indoor air purifiers work in combination with static electricity and charge the particles that are inside the air purifiers. The charged particles then stick to the sides of the internal filtration system and are removed from indoor air.
They have been found to be effective in relieving symptoms of asthma and allergies, among other respiratory illnesses. The use of the electrostatic air purifier attracts some budget concerns. They are disposable and should be replaced at least after every three months.
They do work well under high-velocity cooling and heating systems. This high-efficiency filter is made of 5-inches pleated synthetic cotton.
Honeywell Indoor Air Filter
Pets have various health benefits and make great companions, but they also can have a negative impact on human health. You will find that after adopting a pet your home becomes a host of cat or dog hairs, pet odors, and dander. If you or a member of your family suffers from pet allergies, conditions may worsen by keeping pets in the house.
However, you can purchase an indoor air purifier, which will help filter out dirt, dust, and pet odors in the breathing air circulating around your house. The Honeywell True HEPA Allergen Remover is perfect for large rooms of up to 465 square feet. It also meets the HEPA standards of functionality as it captures 99.97 of air particles that are up to 0.3 microns.
Not only does it work for people that love pets but it also removes smoke, pollen, dust, and mold, and captures some types of germs, while alleviating bad odors. The indoor air purifier is not only effective but also silent while working. The gadget has two types of filters that are pocket-friendly as they tend to need replacement only after a period of 3 to 5 years.
However, you will need to change the purifier’s pre-filters, which are made of non-woven polyester that isolates the large visible particles for up to three months. The impregnated carbon responsible for odor and smoke removal will not be able to absorb any more of the fumes after the expiration of that short period.
Honeywell indoor air purifiers have an Intelli-Check Filter Monitor, whose purpose is to guide you on when you need to replace the air purifier’s pre-filter. Therefore, with regards to the gadget’s operating speed and hours of use, the monitor system will alert you by lighting up the indicator when it’s time to replace the filter.
When you are cooking in the house the aroma tends to spread to other rooms. But there are other smells that come from the kitchen, mostly from the leftover foods or even from the kitchen trash as it waits to be taken outside. The unpleasant smell may not be so good for your household guests.
Closing the doors to other rooms while cooking will prevent the aroma or smell from permeating those rooms, but it won’t stop other foods from getting contaminated and changing their taste. You also run the risk of mold and mildew in the air.
An air purifier doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, because there are many effective and pocket-friendly air filters that have been made specifically for the kitchen. For example, the Alen T500 Allergy Air Purifier. It doesn’t occupy much space, with only 500 square feet coverage. In addition to its quiet operation, it has antibacterial properties.
The above machine will eliminate mold that i notorious for causing bad smells in the kitchen by cleaning the air every 30 minutes on high speed. It also filters and sterilizes the air, obliterating dust, bacteria, chemicals, and light odors.
As you purchase your Alen T500 HEPA Air Purifier, be sure to check the Filter Life Timer’s indicator, which will inform you of when you are supposed to change your purifiers filter. The device works when the ionizers charge small dirt particles, thus improving filtration.
Conclusion
Don’t be a victim of airway oxidative injuries, atherosclerosis, pneumonia or lung cancer if you can help it. Acquire an indoor air purifier and protect your family’s health.
If your house is big with many rooms, we definitely suggest that you consider getting a purifier for multiple rooms. That is, if your budget allows.