Tag - home air puriier

05 Jan

Negative oxygen ion air purifier is what? What is the advantage to human body?

Negative oxygen ion air purifier is what? What is the advantage to human body?

03

Negative ion air purifier is a negative ion by itself for air purification, dust, odor, sterilization appliance environment optimization, its core function is to generate negative ions, negative ions by dust itself has the characteristics of dust, sterilization detoxification to optimize the indoor air and the difference. Traditional air purifiers are in negative ion as the effect factor, take the initiative to capture the harmful substances in the air, and the air purifier is the traditional exhaust fan, to purify the air by filter dust, known as passive type adsorption filtration purification principle, need to replace the filter regularly, and the negative oxygen ion air purifier is not required supplies.

The use of negative oxygen ion purifier can restore the atmospheric pollutants, nitrogen oxides, active oxygen produced cigarettes (oxygen radicals), reduce the damage of active oxygen on the human body; and a positively charged air dust without charge after deposition, thereby purifying air.

So, now more and more families choose to use to purify the air of negative oxygen ion air purifier. Of course, in addition to air purification function, negative oxygen ion negative oxygen ion release can also be in good health, the negative oxygen ions can not only contribute to the body of vitamin synthesis and storage, strengthen and activate the physiological activities of the human body, so it called “air vitamin”.

Air anion and sedative, hypnotic effect. If every day we inhale the anion, the amount of health to persevere, be of great advantage: make people energetic, eliminate fatigue and burnout, improve work efficiency. To improve sleep and eliminate neurasthenia. Reduce the incidence of disease, prevention of colds and respiratory diseases. The improvement of heart cerebrovascular disease. The symptoms.

Of course, the benefits of negative ions are able to release the premise ion size ecological level of negative oxygen in small negative oxygen ion machine. Now the market competition scale of negative oxygen ion health instrument can clearly released the diameter of the ecological level of negative oxygen ion concentration and small, high concentration can reach more than 30 million /cm? 3; truly, small particle size, high concentration ozone content. For the vast number of consumers concerned about the 5cm, the ozone content of negative oxygen ions balance game health apparatus caused by less than 0.03mg/m? 3, far lower than the national standard limit; 0.16mg/m 3; and can be completely assured.

For more info about negative ion air purifier,please visit olansi website https://www.olansi.net

Air Purifier News Read more...
03 Jan

A wide range of air purifiers, experts teach you how to choose?

A wide range of air purifiers, experts teach you how to choose? 

We all know the harm to the body of haze, many people have chosen to wear masks, the family also bought an air purifier, but how do you really know?

Professionals: more and more types of air purifiers, the price is ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands”

The price gap is so big, how to choose their own purifier?

Professionals: from 2016 to March a new national standard, on the air purifier is started, a low “

The reporter understands, the amount of clean air is Cadr, purification efficiency, a
nd the cumulative amount of purified, these three values are greater, the noise index is as low as possible, the new national standard of “three high and one low” is like a ruler, you can choose in the purifier is heart.

Professionals: “in fact, an air purifier is not possible to the entire area of the house, because the house is a wall of a door, the air purifier is by air convection, so that it can put you in the living room living room air tube, not turning to the bedroom”

Find suitable for their own use cleaner space, a lot of people feel that the purifier is foreign monk chanted sutras, actually otherwise.

Professionals: “because of foreign air quality better than domestic, and many foreign air purifier, mainly in the removal of pollen and allergens, formaldehyde in the worst air quality in China is PM2.5 and caused by the decoration”

Whether it is a mask or purifier, must choose their own, so that we can do to prevent haze barrier.

Suggestion: olansi factory air purifiers as follows.

1.03

Air Purifier News Read more...
23 Dec

Do you really choose an air purifier?

Do you really choose an air purifier? 

 

Buy a small mask let many people worry about, buy air purifier is more complex, more let consumers make dizzy .

In fact, the current air purifier on the market only two kinds, one is passive air purifier by physical absorption, the other is the price a little expensive, but can be active passive type air purifier directly kill bacteria and viruses in the air.

The principle of passive air purifier is relatively simple, the fan will be polluted air suction machine, through the filter machine of suspended particles in the air, dust and other impurities after filtration, the release of relatively clean air. The core of this type of air purifier is a filter screen, roughly deodorizing filter, in addition to formaldehyde filter. HEPA filter, HEPA filter is the most expensive, the filtering effect is the best.

However, the biggest drawback of this type of air purifier is the machine running noise, but also can not kill bacteria in the air, especially in the bedroom may have an impact on sleep.

Active passive and active air purifier can kill bacteria and viruses in the air, different brands of the technology are completely different. However, consumers in the choice of air purifier, and look at some of the key technical indicators still can help you open your eyes.

The air purifier Cadr value can easily be ignored, Cadr value is the clean air output ratio, which is the purchase of air purifier of the most important factors. In short, the Cadr value is within 1 hours of the air purifier room air circulation filter several times, the higher the value, then the higher the purifier purification performance.

In addition, the purifier is to pay attention to CCM value. In March this year, the new air purifier GB introduced, clearly identifies multiple core parameters. Including the amount of clean air purification and cumulative amount (CCM value). The core of the filter purifier can really use a long time, is according to the CCM value.

 

Suggestion: Our factory Big CADR olansi air purifier

003ko6c

Related:https://www.olansi.net/home-air-purifier/99-97-pure-hepa-air-purifier-china-uv-sterilizerionizer-home-hepa-air-purifier-china-with-pm2-5-display/

Air Purifier News Read more...
15 Nov

Enter the Clean Air Machine/Air purifiers

The post-Diwali pollution has left Delhi dealing with the worst smog it has ever experienced. As the pollution results in watering eyes and tightness in the chest, many have now taken to buying air purifiers in the hope that it would provide some guard against lung-­damaging conditions.

As pollution levels soared manifold beyond the prescribed limit, sales of devices for pur­ifying indoor air also jumped 50 per cent in the first week of November. Suvendu Mazumdar, national product manager of Spark international, one of the leading manufacturers of air purifiers in the country, says he is being flooded with inquiries about purifiers throughout the day. “The air situation in the country has deteriorated so much that I have people not only from Delhi, but other parts of the country too, inquiring about what type of purifier to buy,” he says.

The visible pollution as well as the fog has made many people prone to asthma and all­ergies rush to to buy these devices to prevent further damage. In fact, most companies producing such devices are now marketing the air purifiers as the next big revolution since water purifiers. “Air purifiers will be the next water purifiers,” says Jayati Singh.02

 

Concerned about the impact on employees, many organisations are also rushing to install air purifiers in their premises. Several embassies in Delhi have taken measures to set up pollution-free zones within their perimeters. The German embassy, for instance, has equipped its central ventilation system to include an air filter that purifies the air. “Since December 2014, the purchase of air purifiers for the expatriate staff’s private homes has been subsidised and all embassy staff are entitled to an additional three days of leave that must be spent outside Delhi,” says a press release by the German embassy. Most multinational companies too have issued guidelines with incentives to get their employees to install purifiers at homes as well.

So how effective are air purifiers in combating these levels of pollution? One can only guess as so far no government or independent scientific institution has done any study of their impact. Vivek Chattopadhyay of Delhi-based NGO Centre for Science and Environment points out that the air purifiers’ appeal is largely based on faith and says, “The devices perform at best like an air conditioner that traps the air within the room and circulates that same air.”

Chattopadhyay rubbishes the Delhi government’s claims of installing air purifier systems on traffic signals as “useless”, saying the possibility of such devices working in open spaces is even less. And yet, for people living in polluted cities such as Delhi and Patna, the purifiers bring the only believable promise of respite from the deadly pollution, however temporary and limited. No wonder more and more of them are shelling out the bucks, hoping for that sliver of chance to prevent long-term health damage.

Air Purifier News Read more...
10 Nov

All you need to know before purchasing an air purifier

What an air purifier?

An air purifier is a simple device consisting of a fan (or two) and filters. Since most pollutants are suspended particulates, these devices work by mechanically separating the pollutants by forcing air through filters. Typically, they don’t consume much electricity either, ranging from 15 to 60 watts depending on the filtration capacity and additional features.

Why do you need one?

There are many different sources of air pollution and if you live in a city, chances are, you need one of these already. Breathing cleaner air helps you sleep better, improves lung function and overall health. If someone in the family suffers from allergies, one of these can be quite useful because it will remove common allergens like pollen, dust, pet hair and so on.

How do you choose one?

Air purifiers are rated with a coverage area (square feet). Measure your room and buy something that has a higher coverage. For instance, if your room is 300sq feet, buy something that is rated for 400sq feet or higher. There are multiple brands to choose from now and the rest depends on your budget and the kind of features you require.

How many do you need?

This depends on where you need clean air. If you’re getting just one, start with the bedroom because that’s where you’ll be sleeping and where you’ll spend the most amount of time.You can move them from room to room as required but it will take a while for it to clean a room completely. Ideally, each room needs to have one of it’s own.

What kind & how many filters do they have?

The primary filter you should look for is HEPA or high-efficiency particulate air filter. It mechanically separates pollutants from the air since it has multiple layers of interlocked fibers. [prisna-wp-translate-show-hide behavior=”show”]The HEPA is the most expensive type of filter. [/prisna-wp-translate-show-hide]There’s also usually a carbon filter which is used to remove odours and dissolved chemicals.Some of the devices include a washable pre-filter -this catches the larger dust particles, hair, pet dander and so on. You can periodically take it out, cleanwash it and ..

Where should you place it?

Placement is important for maximum efficacy. The clean air delivery rate and effective coverage area is measured with the device in an empty room. If you place it under a table, right up against a wall or in between large pieces of furniture, the amount of air it can circulateclean is reduced. Give it enough room and it should work a lot better. Also keep in mind that they work only with closed doors windows.

Any other filter tips?

Filters need to be replaced periodically. This is where the recurring cost of the air purifier lies. Some air purifiers have multiple filters and some have compound filters (two or three in one). If you can, find out the cost of the filters and expected life before making a purchase.
Be sure to switch off the air purifier when sweeping the room -it greatly prolongs the life of the unit. You can also use a vacuum cleaner on the front of a filter to clear off accumulated dust.

Extra features

An ionizer generates negative ions which claims to attract and neutralise harmful particles in the air.Some studies have shown that using ionizers can lead to breathing issues (electromagnetically charged particles can turn into Ozone) so we advise avoiding this feature. Humidifiers use water stored in a tank to boost humidity. Other things you can look for a night mode (extra quiet), WiFi and smartphone control, air quality indicator, display, remote control and temperature humidity sensors. < ..

More about air pollution

Air pollution is not only caused by your car and bursting of crackers. Sources can include seasonal crop burning, construction, burning of fossil fuels in factories, waste landfills and even green house gas emission. Indoor air can also be worse than outdoor air because pollutants accumulate -accelerated by poor ventilation and additional sources of indoor pollution like cooking, pets and chemical cleaning products.

 

Air Purifier News Read more...
09 Nov

“New Delhi breath” masks and air purifiers are out of stock

The air filled with sour, spicy eyes, choking throat, difficulty breathing, visibility is only tens of meters, all submerged in the thick haze. This is the last few days the reporter in the India capital New Delhi experienced serious haze experience.

szt00009441

, prices have some anti haze masks soared to 2000 rupees (about 200 yuan) one.

“The times of India reported on 8 may >11 said, New Delhi haze in 1952 caused more than 4 thousand deaths in the London haze far behind. On the front page of the India times on the visiting British Prime Minister said:” welcome to the gas chamber, Teresa. “The CNN reported that, according to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, on the earth the most polluted city, now can not find the clean air.

India meteorological department said that since the end of October to New Delhi and North Indian region ushered in more than 20 years, the most severe haze, this situation will continue for about a week. According to the India air detection index shows that in recent days, New Delhi PM2.5 high security value is more than 17 times, the highest value was up to 1100 in some areas of India: Hindu >8 reported that the New Delhi area hospital patients increase 30%. India Centre for science and environment report, 10 thousand to 30 thousand people each year due to the haze of death in New Delhi.

At the same time, the pollution has caused serious economic losses in.2013, the world bank assessment, the deterioration of the environment in India every year to pay at least $80 billion in economic cost. The Hindu > reported that due to haze caused low visibility, multi car accident occurred in New Delhi area on the highway, causing many deaths.

With the city of New Delhi, many people and cars, the pollution is becoming more and more heavy pollution days for 46 days. In 1996 the government of India to take specific measures, once had a more obvious effect. However, by 2013, India pollution days increased to 74 days.

At present, New Delhi city vehicle population has reached 25 million, nearly 10 million vehicles. India Centre for science and environment scholar C Manu Vanni told reporters that in addition to vehicle emissions, mainly caused by the haze in New Delhi and North India so serious is the Diwali people set off firecrackers, at present it is agricultural area of Northwest India straw burning this is the season, the farmers to keep the lowest soil fertility cost. Another reason is due to the local government did not implement strict pollution control measures.

In the face of severe haze, New Delhi chief minister Koi Val held an emergency cabinet meeting on 6 May to discuss solutions. The decision of the government of New Delhi since 7 in New Delhi 3700 school holiday for three days, all construction work halted for 5 days, the next 10 days to prohibit the use of all fuel generators, temporarily shut down New Delhi’s Bada coal-fired power plant for 10 days, the government also called for all the people of New Delhi in the home office. From 7 onwards, uninterrupted implementation of sprinkler sprinkler operation, reduce the dust on the road. At the same time, New Delhi to the India central government proposed the implementation of artificial rainfall system to control the dust in the air. The New Delhi municipal government on 7 additional measures, including the car at the age of 15 years of above the vehicle must be canceled heavy trucks and truck passing, can not enter the city, all on fire control, shut down polluting enterprises, New Delhi City banned firecrackers.

At the same time, the pollution has caused serious economic losses in.2013, the world bank assessment, the deterioration of the environment in India every year to pay at least $80 billion in economic cost. The Hindu > reported that due to haze caused low visibility, multi car accident occurred in New Delhi area on the highway, causing many deaths.

With the city of New Delhi, many people and cars, the pollution is becoming more and more heavy pollution days for 46 days. In 1996 the government of India to take specific measures, once had a more obvious effect. However, by 2013, India pollution days increased to 74 days.

At present, New Delhi city vehicle population has reached 25 million, nearly 10 million vehicles. India Centre for science and environment scholar C Manu Vanni told reporters that in addition to vehicle emissions, mainly caused by the haze in New Delhi and North India so serious is the Diwali people set off firecrackers, at present it is agricultural area of Northwest India straw burning this is the season, the farmers to keep the lowest soil fertility cost. Another reason is due to the local government did not implement strict pollution control measures.

In the face of severe haze, New Delhi chief minister Koi Val held an emergency cabinet meeting on 6 May to discuss solutions. The decision of the government of New Delhi since 7 in New Delhi 3700 school holiday for three days, all construction work halted for 5 days, the next 10 days to prohibit the use of all fuel generators, temporarily shut down New Delhi’s Bada coal-fired power plant for 10 days, the government also called for all the people of New Delhi in the home office. From 7 onwards, uninterrupted implementation of sprinkler sprinkler operation, reduce the dust on the road. At the same time, New Delhi to the India central government proposed the implementation of artificial rainfall system to control the dust in the air. The New Delhi municipal government on 7 additional measures, including the car at the age of 15 years of above the vehicle must be canceled heavy trucks and truck passing, can not enter the city, all on fire control, shut down polluting enterprises, New Delhi City banned firecrackers.

Although the New Delhi government has taken these measures, but experts believe that this is a repeat of last year’s practice, too little too late. Times of India >7 headlines reported that serious haze is still not alert the government, preventing haze normalization should take control measures.

Air Purifier News Read more...
03 Nov

How to buy air purifier? It doesn’t have to be expensive but to choose suitable

A haze into the winter season, masks, air purifiers and other products demand, seems to have become law. And with the heating season, the air quality situation may become more severe. The reporter visited Taiyuan several appliance stores found all kinds of anti haze products ushered in a buying spree.

The influence of air quality, people have taken measures to buy air purification products to deal with. In Taiyuan electrical appliance stores, in order to facilitate the consumers to buy air purifier products are placed in the most prominent position. The new road is located in a home appliance store sales staff told reporters that in recent years, due to the weather, air purifier market is very hot, not only in Taiyuan, many other people in the northern city with purchase intention. “Air purification products for the autumn and winter haze depend more and more intense, dependent on the weather situation is quite obvious.” the sales personnel, recently sold in more than half of small household electrical appliances, air purifier products, some good the brands and models of products are often out of stock, National Day during the purification rate of high net worth of the Gao Jie product sales more than doubled last year.

To reduce pollution, clean air to breathe, anti haze products have become the necessities of daily life of consumers. This year the new national standard in March formally implemented, air purifier products standards become there are rules to follow, the air purification products chaos situation has improved, related products to enter the era of regulation.

However, in the face of the market every kind of products, some consumers are confused at the time of purchase. “When a serious haze days in autumn and winter, my throat is uncomfortable, because it is not good for health, want to buy an air purifier, but to see so many brands, know so much, or don’t know what to do.” Taiyuan “after 50” Ms. Wang Yujing told reporters, according to the purification effect of choice, but many air purifiers hit “high-tech” signs, some marked “formaldehyde removal rate of 99.9%, some marked” Plasmacluster technology “, make a person dazzling, no start.

In this regard, the Shanxi environmental protection industry Wu Hong said that after the introduction of the new national standard air purifier, noise on basic removals, products, energy efficiency and other indicators have made provisions to certain norms of the market. “The new national standard is a qualified line, only to meet the new national standard of products to enter the market now. On the market brand less than before many, so long as in large shopping malls to buy, consumers do not need to worry about quality issues”

For many years engaged in the sales of home appliances industry in Taiyuan Li Yuan suggested that the air purifier type are many, some can sterilization, some in addition to haze, consumers should not blindly buy. Before the purchase, must have a clear purpose, and then targeted to choose their own family products. If the new home repair, you can choose to go to formaldehyde. There are a lot of domestic and imported brands are designed for this. If it is to clean the indoor air, you can choose to clean, good dedusting effect, with the function of sterilization products, many brand products can be intelligent in addition to formaldehyde, haze and pm2.5. “in addition, many doors and windows closed to prevent haze into, in fact does not to prevent air pollution, can reduce the PM2.5 index, but will make the air circulation is not smooth, easy to breed bacteria, and other microorganisms in a confined environment, will cause harm to human health. Therefore, the autumn” Winter haze, the correct method is more important.

Air Purifier News Read more...
24 Oct

One-quarter of air purifiers fall short of quality standard

One-quarter of air purifiers sold on the domestic market are substandard, an inspection by China’s top quality authority showed.

The inspection, conducted in the first half of this year, found 15 of the 61 batches of products were substandard, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Baoding East Railway Station is seen in Baoding, north China's Hebei Province, Oct. 19, 2016. A yellow alert for air pollution was issued on Wednesday in Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Wang Xiao)

This is the first time that the administration has organized a national quality inspection aimed at air purifiers, and the inspection covered most well-known air purifier brands available in China, said Zhang Wenbing, chief for quality supervision at the administration.

The inspection covered nearly 20 percent of China’s air purifier producers, and of the models by big enterprises, 90 percent were up to standard, much higher than average, according to the administration.

No products by big brands such as Honeywell, Samsung and Midea were found to be substandard.

However, purifiers made by Chinese firms Guangdong Jingba Technology Co. and Shanghai Xinsong Electronics Co. were found to be substandard, due to respective issues of failing to remove methanol and failing noise standards.

“Results of the inspection can provide the basis for consumers to choose air purifiers,” said Song Guangsheng, director of the National Quality Supervision and Inspection Center for Indoor Environment and Environmental Products.

With increasing demand for purifiers in recent years, the number of producers has also risen, but many purifiers on the market may not work as well as advertised, he said.

“Many air purifier brands claim to be able to remove methanol, but in fact, few of them are able to do so,” Song said.

In the first half of the year, 4.5 million air purifiers were sold in China, 58 percent more than the same period last year, according to media reports.

Zhang Xiao, an inspector at the National Quality Inspection Center for Household Electrical Appliances, said China has strict quality standards for air purifiers, and some key indexes include noise level, capacity to remove pollutants and purifiers’ toxic emissions.

Air Purifier News Read more...
19 Oct

Air Purifier for Winter Allergies

57db571268998ab65a9c6446cb5a0697

Allergy & asthma tips for the holidays

The holiday season holds several potential triggers for allergy and asthma sufferers. Whether it’s setting up your Christmas tree, visiting your pet-owning relatives, or feasting on holiday treats, allergy triggers may be lurking around every corner.

“With hectic schedules and constant traveling around the holidays, it’s easy to forget to take proper care when dealing with allergies and asthma,” said Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS, FAAAAI, vice-chair of the AAAAI’s Indoor Allergen Committee. “Remembering to take medication and avoid potential triggers is necessary to keep symptoms under control.”

Tips for an Allergy-Free Holiday Season

Before decorating a live Christmas tree, allow it to dry out on an enclosed porch or garage. You also may want to explore whether the tree retailer has a shaking machine, which will physically remove some allergens from the tree.

  • Clean artificial Christmas trees outside before decorating. They can gather mold and dust in storage.
  • Change the filter in your air purifier.
  • Wash fabric decorations in hot, soapy water before displaying.
  • Use plastic, metal or glass decorations that cannot trap dust mites.
  • When spraying artificial snow on windows or other surfaces, be sure to follow directions. These sprays can irritate your lungs if you inhale them.
  • If visiting relatives’ homes who have pets, take medication before arriving to minimize a possible reaction.
  • The holidays can be a very stressful time of year. Pay attention to your stress level, which can sometimes lead to an asthma attack.
  • Ask your relatives and friends to avoid burning wood in the fireplace. The smoke can trigger an asthma attack.
  • Dust mites can be especially troubling when traveling away from home, take a desktop air purifier and your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover and request down-free pillows if staying in a hotel.
Air Purifier News Read more...
18 Oct

The Science of Air Purifiers and Health: Is There Data?

8840f5c124c97c51bed8474bb443115d

What is one of the hottest gifts in China? Perhaps you could give “the gift that keeps on giving”: an indoor air purifier. They certainly are all the rage in China since last year, with skyrocketing sales and sold-out inventories after the trio of highly publicized airpocalyptic crises. I think this is a good turn of events: plenty of independent testing,including mine, has documented that a good air purifier can dramatically improve your indoor PM2.5 by 80% or more. But is there any good data that proves that this actually makes you healthier? It seems logical, of course, that decreasing exposure to pollution would decrease harmful health effects. But medical history is filled with tales of common sense and tradition that later turn out to be worthless or harmful — like bloodletting, or the more modern tradition of multivitamins. A big percentage of people reading this article take a daily multivitamin, assuming it’s “healthier” to do so, but the best evidence shows they are worthless, and possibly harmful. Could air purifiers be the same?

In theory and in testing, a good purifier should improve a room’s pollution levels more than 80%; this80% reduction is also what the private Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) uses in their clean air delivery rate (CADR) tests, which are widely cited in comparison charts of air purifiers. So let’s say you’ve installed a top-of-the-line purifier in your living room, feeling quite safe and cozy. But how much of your time is actually in that filtered room? Or maybe the purifier is too small for that room size, or the filters are old, or the fan speed is too low, or the windows are open? Even this commonly cited CADR test is just a lab test for only 20 minutes — what about in the real world? I want to take this conversation to the next level, seeking out proof that your health will improve when using these machines. I want to be able to tell my patients and readers that there are published research studies which followed people over many months or even years, compared them to a control group not using air purifiers, and measured their health to see if there was any improvement in heart and lung disease, cancers and death rates. Are there any such studies?258035c025c59745eaab068434d9d6c6

searched the Pubmed scientific database to find the best studies, and I was disappointed but not surprised to find very little strong data. A properly designed research project like this would be very difficult and expensive. But there are a few attempts, especially studies looking at using HEPA filters to help children with asthma. One was a systematic review published in 2002, which found that air filters helped to improve asthma symptoms — but the effect was small, and there was wide variation between studies which made conclusive assessments difficult. A more recent, very well designed study published in Pediatrics in 2011 followed two hundred children with asthma who also were exposed to secondhand smoke at home, and gave half of the kids a true HEPA purifier and the other half a fake purifier for their bedrooms. After a year, the HEPA group of children had less doctor visits for asthma flares, which possibly — but not conclusively — could be due to the 25% decrease in PM2.5 in their homes.

Other studies have focused on allergies, including an interesting study from 2008 which assessed children with documented pet allergies, following them over a year and recording lung function and blood markers. After a year, those who used HEPA air purifiers showed no clear difference in lung function, use of allergy medicines, or blood markers of allergies. Another study back in 1990 was a bit more impressive, showing not only a 70% reduction in indoor PM0.3 but also improved patient symptoms of allergies.

All of these hint at health benefits, but they still dance around the edges of what I want to know for us in China and the developing world. In the USA, most of the air purifier marketing and testing focuses on allergies and asthma. But here in the developing countries, the air pollution is much more severe and thus the health risks are far more serious. We are worried about pollution’s long-term risks of death, heart and lung disease and cancer. These studies I just mentioned still aren’t answering that deeper question: can long-term use of indoor air purifiers prevent death, heart and lung disease, and cancer?

The best study I found was published in January 2013 in Indoor Air. It was very well designed for this complicated type of study, being a randomized double-blind crossover study of 20 homes over three weeks, using an air purifier or a placebo purifier. Their main goal in this remote First Nations community in Canada was to assess whether air purifiers could improve cardiorespiratory health. As their abstract says,

“…each home received an electrostatic air filter and a placebo filter for 1 week in random order, and lung function, blood pressure, and endothelial function measures were collected at the beginning and end of each week… On average, air filter use was associated with a 217-ml increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second, a 7.9-mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure, and a 4.5-mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure. Consistent inverse associations were also observed between indoor PM2.5 and lung function. In general, our findings suggest that reducing indoor PM2.5 may contribute to improved lung function in First Nations communities.”

This same Canadian research team had earlierpublished a similar study, testing 45 non-smokers for 7 days in 20 homes that used wood stoves, comparing health effects with or without HEPA purifiers. The people using the filters showed improved endothelial function and biomarkers of inflammation such as CRP. As most pollution researchers now see pollution as a pro-inflammatory disease, testing for such biomarkers could indeed be an accurate surrogate for later health problems. This approach is also being used in studies of air pollution masks, which I recently reviewed.

My take from these studies? Firstly, they all confirm what we already know: air purifiers can reduce the levels of indoor PM2.5, but with a wide range of effectiveness. Secondly are the more important results looking at health markers. I think the most encouraging finding was the First Nation study showing improvement in lung function, even in such a short amount of time (less than a month). Their data was a bit less convincing on blood pressure improvements, but perhaps a larger study would help confirm their initial findings of a slight improvement.

None of these studies are slam-dunk proof for me, but I honestly don’t know whether we ever will get many more well designed studies like these, unless governmental researchers or Gates-type philanthropists fund them. But until better studies come along, we must rely on what we do know:

  • Air pollution contains many chemicals, but PM2.5 is considered to be the most harmful to health.
  • There is no such thing as a “safe” level of PM2.5. Lower is always better.
  • Worsening PM2.5 causes deaths from all causes, especially heart and lung diseases and cancers. Many studies have shown this, including this 2013 meta-analysis of the population in China.
  • On the brighter side, long-term improvements in PM2.5 do help to decrease mortality. The best study was a huge epidemiological analysis of entire populations in American cities as the air improved from the 1970’s to 1990’s. Lifespans improved for everyone, for a multitude of reasons, and they estimate that 15% of the improved life expectancy was due to cleaner air.
  • Shorter studies have also shown improvements in health from better outdoor air pollution. The best designed study I’ve seen on this happened right here in Beijing, during the 2008 Olympics. A team of researchers followed 125 healthy young doctors before, during and after the Olympics, and found improved blood pressure, heart rate and other biomarkers of inflammation during those lovely days of improved air pollution. Another encouraging studyfollowed pregnant women and their babies in Tongliang, China both before and after a heavily polluting coal-fired power plant was forced to shut down in 2004, and found improved neurodevelopmental scores in newborns at age 2 years.

Is all of this enough to convince you to use an indoor purifier? For me, I was already convinced years ago — it’s not just common sense, it actually makes biochemical sense and also perfectly fits withthe precautionary principle: “When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”

Air Purifier News Read more...