Curtains, couches, and carpets - could these possibly be common sources of air pollution? While many would quickly answer no, these porous household furnishings actually do contribute largely to air pollution that, according to the American Lung Association, eighty-seven percent of Americans fail to consider: the pollution of indoor air.
In fact, practically all surfaces found inside a building take in common, everyday chemicals, such as cleaning supplies and pesticides, and continue to release these harmful fumes back into the air long after their initial absorption. Consequently, unless action is taken to rid the air of these persistent pollutants, many buildings stay continuously contaminated.
Pollution of air does have a serious and direct effect on human health. For example, asthma, allergies, and cancers can often be linked to air pollution. And while many think of outdoor air as the primary culprit, the Environmental Protection Agency states that the air inside is actually two to ten times more polluted than that outdoors.
This dangerous indoor air pollution comes from many sources, including perfumes, fireplaces, pesticides, candles, smoking, cleaning supplies, dust, construction materials, mold, and people. Chemicals such as pesticides, for instance, which are created to kill insects and other pests, are made up of both active chemicals and inert solvents that are extremely toxic, and as mentioned above, are often re-released into the air for prolonged periods of time.
Therefore, because many of the sources of indoor pollution cannot be eliminated, the air itself must be disinfected. To do this, the United States Centers of Disease Control recommends using a UV air purifier that employs a HEPA filter along with ultraviolet light. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that a UV clarifier which generates negative ions is highly effective in ridding the air of bacteria and dust.
Many UV air purifiers on the market incorporate all of these methods. Together, they are able to remove and/or kill virtually all particulates and micro-organisms found in the air. This is extremely important; while the hairs in our noses filter larger particles, smaller particulates pass through to our lungs, resulting in serious health risks.
A HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter will trap 99.97% of these dangerous particulates a minute as small as three-tenths of a micron (which is 1/25,400 of an inch). Being trapped by the UV clarifier, they cannot again enter the air. Depending on the amount of pollution in the air, A HEPA filter often lasts several years, making the ultraviolet air purification system extremely cost-effective.
Some of the particulates passing through a UV air purifier are micro-organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and mold. As these microbes pass by the ultraviolet germicidal light, their DNA is mutated, making it impossible for them to reproduce and grow. The HEPA filter works with the ultraviolet light as it captures hazardous microbes, allowing the ultraviolet light of the UV clarifier ample time to destroy all micro-organisms and render emitted air harmless.
Finally, negative ions work to attract positively-charged fine particles, including dust and mold spores. As negative ions attach to the positive particulates, they form clumps, become heavy, and fall to surfaces where they can be vacuumed or dusted. As these positively-charged fine particles are pulled from the air, a host of dead skin, dust mites, and bacteria, which would be inhaled, are removed, leaving the air safe to breathe.
In addition to a HEPA filter, ultraviolet light, and negative ion generation, it is important that an ultraviolet air purification system employ a fan. Just as placing the fan of an HVAC system in the constant-on position will help the system's filter trap contaminants as air moves through, an ultraviolet air purification system must produce a constant flow in order to keep air moving through the UV clarifier so hazardous particulates can be trapped and killed.
Indoor air quality, according to the EPA, ranks number one as the United States' environmental health problem. Therefore, every piece of technology that can be utilized by a UV air purifier should be incorporated as each plays an important role in the effectiveness of an ultraviolet air purification system. The HEPA filter, ultraviolet germicidal light, negative ions, and fan work together to rid indoor air of pollutants that will persist unless action is taken against this dangerous pollution.
Ozone air-purifiers are known for their effectiveness of reducing the odors in your room or surrounding spaces. The smells of contaminants like new carpets and acrolein, pet odors and tobacco smoke, bacteria smell and rotten odors can be specially removed through the help of ozone air-purifiers. Ozone is a highly reactive oxidant that aids in the destruction of certain bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants in the air. So the ozone air-purifiers can prove to be truly effective for cleaning the air in the surroundings.
The working of ozone air-purifiers is simple but unique. When ozone reacts with various substances or contaminants in the air, these contaminants are broken down into other materials that are also termed as pollutants. Ozone comprised of three oxygen molecules converts certain contaminants in the air to carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, formic acid and a variety of aldehydes. So the air gets easily purified when cleaned with ozone air-purifiers.
Types of ozone air-purifiers
Ozone air-purifiers are available in two versions: the direct ozone generators and the indirect ozone generators.
1. The direct ozone generators - usually work by producing ozone that filters out some chemicals in the air of the surrounding spaces. The ozone generators are highly effective for removing odors in the bars, reducing burnt smell completely during fire restoration jobs and in removing smells in other major odor issues.
2. The indirect ozone generators these are part of the ionic air purification systems that produce and emit out negatively charged ions into the atmosphere causing the air-chemicals and particles to drop into the grounds and floor surfaces. You can clean off the dust and dirt particles once they are on the grounds, thereby purging the air completely.
But when you are using the ozone air-purifiers you should be quite careful. According to Environmental Protection Agency, ozone has been known for decreasing lung functions and body activities, aggravate asthma and other respiratory ailments, increase cough and chest pain, cause shortness of breath and inflame the lung tissue and increase the susceptibility to respiratory infections.
When you are using it, try to vacate the premises including pets, plant pots, art and other valuable items that are made of rubber. Seal the building and keep the generator running for few days so that all the pollutants, unwanted odors and contaminants gets ventilated. The human health institutions have recommended worldwide that a maximum of outdoor ozone exposure should be 50 to 80 ppb [parts per billion].
Advantages of using ozone air-purifiers
The ozone air-purifiers prove to be truly efficient for the following purposes:
-Protects you from pollutants, contaminants and unwanted microorganisms in the atmosphere.
-Reduces viruses and bacteria from the atmosphere thereby decreasing the spread of diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis and other diseases.
-Can be installed almost anywhere in the homes because they are portable, lightweight and flexible.
A word of caution suggests that you should limit the use of ozone air-purifiers specially indoor to reduce any ill-effects on the inhabitants. The ozone air-purifiers can be truly effective for outdoor purposes. But for even regular outdoors, check out indirect ozone generators with a low tested emission rate to reduce all possible ill effects on common people.
Both Mary Coyle & Barney Garcia are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mary Coyle has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Health and Global Warming. Clean Air with Ultraviolet offers low-maintenance, energy efficient products that will minimize indoor air pollution. For more information on indoor air purifiers or the benefits of air purification, please visit. Mary Coyle's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
Barney Garcia has sinced written about articles on various topics from detox diet, Coffee Advantages and Fibromyalgia. Barney is an avid writer,he recommends,,. Barney Garcia's top article generates over 301000 views. to your Favourites.