HEPA filters were developed by the US military during the World War II. The Manhattan Project that designed the atomic bomb also developed this filter. This device helps make the air we breathe cleaner and safe from harmful particles.

The United States Department of Energy officially called these improved devices HEPA filters. The acronym HEPA means High Efficiency Particulate Air. Some of the industries using it are the aerospace, hospitals, pharmaceutical processing, healthcare, nuclear power and nuclear fuels. The good thing is this efficient HEPA air filters are now being used at home.

These are standard filters that can be bought in the form of cartridges. These are now being utilized for persons with medical conditions like hay fever, asthma, and other allergies. Some medical specialty stores also offer these items. Hardware, paint stores and industrial safety supplies vendors also use it to freshen up the air from unwanted chemicals.

These products can eliminate up to 99.97 percent of particles in the air. These air filters can remove as little as 0.3 microns of airborne particles. A vacuum cleaner using HEPA filter can clean even the microscopic dust and germs. Various air cleaning and air purification devices use this type of filters.

The tiny glass fibers make-up greatly helps in the functionality. These fibers are woven into tightly compressed paper filter. The process provides numerous tiny sieves that trap the microscopic particles. The captured particles including microorganisms are stuck to the filter's absorbent pores.

HEPA air filters clean the air of dust mite allergens, animal dander, pollen, dust, and smoke. It can trap some molds, spores and viruses. But they cannot neutralize bacteria. Several air filters in the market feature ultra-violet light. The UV light system kills mold, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

It also cannot be used without motorized fans. The air must flow through the filter to clean the air of tiny particles. They are not so effective in large areas, neither are they reusable. Nevertheless, it outperforms other filters in the market in terms of overall effectiveness.

HEPA furnace filters are for heating units. It comes in various sizes to fit your heaters all winter long. Check with the air conditioning and heating shops to confirm if it is the right size. There are accessories for HEPA vacuum cleaners offered commercially.

You could get accessories to improve the cleaning performance of the vacuum like a filter replacement, exhaust filter, replacement paper bag, and ULPA filter cartridge. Crevice nozzle, 10 inch silicone hose, Straight SS wands, stainless steel wands, autoclave-safe floor nozzle, and silicone curved crevice nozzle are also included.

Researchers found out in a recent study that HEPA filters improve cardiovascular heath of non-smoking elderly individuals. Filtration greatly reduced the amount of dust particles in air for 48 hours and made better the microvascular function (MVF) of healthy senior citizens, according to Professor Steffen Loft, of Copenhagen Institute of Public Health.

The study suggests these filter products for indoor air filtration can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk. The work was printed in the February issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society.

The researchers conducted the study in the residence of 21 non-smoking 60 to 75 year old couples. The area was near heavily trafficked routes. The research workers measured the MVF as well as the ambient airborne particles.

Each home was installed with air purifiers for a couple of 48-hour periods. The purifier was fitted with HEPA air filter during one period. And the other period, it was not equipped with. The study showed that the device decreased the fine, ultra-fine and coarse air particles by 60 percent.