Air Purifier Systems - Chemicals in the Home, Part II

In Part I of this series, we discussed the existence of volatile organic compounds which are released from carpeting, curtains and drapes, upholstery of all kinds, and many wood products in the home that are manufactured, such as drywall. These VOC’s can be removed by an air purifier that has a high capacity of blended activated carbon. Air purifiers with only carbon mats, or small amounts of carbon will fill up quickly and not last long. It is important in a new home or with new carpeting or upholstery to open the doors and windows and air them out if possible for an hour or two. After that the air purifier should in a few days be able to absorb a great deal of the chemicals released and thus reduce the odor.

However, one of the other major problems with indoor air quality in the home, and even more prevalent in workplaces housed in older buildings, is the issue of inadequate ventilation. Many pollutants come in from the outside but without proper airflow, don’t go out. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers raised it standards in the past decade to a minimum of 15 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of outside air for each occupant, and 20 CFM in office spaces. If you feel you can’t breathe in older spaces, you may be right; there’s not enough outdoor air coming in. When the outdoor air that is coming in is polluted, an air purifier can at least help clean the air you are getting. If you have people with respiratory problems living in a home, or in a workplace, it would be helpful to have a professional check the ventilation systems. A quality HEPA air purifier with a high concentration of activated carbon to absorb the VOC’s will help significantly, but properly functioning ventilation is also important.

Outdoor chemical contaminants are rarely contained outdoors but find their way into homes and buildings. Treated lawns, vehicle emissions, and pollution from nearby industry can find its way into a home or office. Recent studies show that children who are exposed to diesel particles (very possible in urban environments such as New York City) have a greater inflammatory response in their airways than do adults. These particles and chemicals can be removed from the air with an IQAir Plus air purifier, an Austin Air Plus air purifier, or the VOC air purifiers from AllerAir. A child’s bedroom, especially if the child is allergenic or asthmatic should not have open windows if possible in such an urban environment. A closed room with an air purifier running 24 hours a day will allow the child to sleep much better. This is the case with elderly persons as well.

Other chemical issues in the home regard the wide array of cleaning and grooming products that are used. Chemical air cleaners that are sprayed can be very irritating to persons with airway diseases. You need to take things OUT of the air, not put more in. Using environmentally friendly cleaners can help both the environment and the humans living in the home. Even these however can have scents which cause irritation. An air purifier that will remove odors will remove the scents as well. If possible, however, and to prolong the filter life in the air purifier, the fewer products with strong scents in the home or workplace, the better.