The Invention of Air Purifiers

Just about all air purifiers that were invented were done so for a specific reason. Either the inventor or one of his family or friends suffered drastically from allergens, asthma, or there was some sort of health risk due to chemical gases. The quality of your indoor air solely depends on factors of structure, outdoor environment, building materials, and the occupants of the household or business. The level of those contaminants is dependent on the influences of the factors which emit and remove them from the air. The solution to ridding the contaminants from the air you breathe requires reducing the emission and enhancing the removal process.

Studies show that contaminants that are in the indoor air that you breathe can cause short and long term health problems over a period of time. Main contaminants that are involved in indoor air are bioaerosols which include pathogens and allergens, volatile organic compounds (VOC's), formaldehyde, cleaning products, pesticides, and airborne particles such as lead, asbestos; combustions products such as carbon monoxide, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and radioactive material such as radon. Some of the health effects range from acute effects such as allergic reactions to chronic effects such as lung cancer. All of these effects can be prevented with the help of an air purifier.

The first issue with the condition of indoor air pollution started many decades ago around 1823; the invention of the air filter by John and Charles Dean to help fire fighters breathe better. Later on through the years, there were many other inventors of new and improved air purifiers and soon after the creation and use of synthetic building materials, personal care products, cleaning products, and fabrics after World War II air purifiers became ever so trendy. Toxic pesticides and household cleaners grew very popular in the 1950's and 60's replacing the milder ones like baking soda, soap, and vinegar. These products were designed for convenience and to work better, but also were potential health hazards.

In 1960, it was recognized that many people were getting sick due to pollution inside their homes. This sickness was due to allergens, chemicals in the air, and poor air circulation where they resided. In 1963, Klaus and Manfred Hammes introduced to the world the very first residential air purifiers in Germany. Manfred Hammes suffered from chronic asthma and this spurred him on in finding a solution for his condition. Together they designed an air filter that purified the air, removing the particles that upset his asthma. It was made up of a filtering pad that was attached to small magnets that was able to hold it to residential coal ovens. This little contraption helped to filter out the dust that was in the heated air and made the air much more breathable for the residents reducing the hazardous health effects that the coal dust had.

In 1970, the energy crisis forced people to take part in energy conservation. One of the most economic solutions was to build homes that were better insulated and sealed air tight. By doing this it helped to lower electric bills and reduced the energy cost for homes. Many old buildings were renovated to make them more energy efficient as well. After putting all of the energy conservation concerns in effect, no one considered the fact that air tight means no air circulation. This increased the number of air contaminants in each household and business, drastically reducing the quality of the air. In winter the contaminant level was raised due in each home because of the burning wood or kerosene in that was used for heat. This was when the need for air purifiers became a top priority in homes as well as in businesses.

This brought on more and more companies to design and produce residential air purifiers. They were designed for the needs of the homes and businesses. Things like tobacco smoke, chemicals, stale air, noxious gases, allergens, and asthma were all incorporated in designing the perfect air purifier. This is why today there are thousands of different types of air purifiers on the market. One designed for every need and some are designed to benefit you in multiple air purification needs.