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 | Few people think about their vacuum cleaners as sources of air pollution in their homes. How could something that makes the carpet look clean be polluting the air? |
| Yet frequently the air people breathe after vacuuming is dirtier than it was before they vacuumed! |
| Many vacuum cleaners pick up the larger particles of dirt so that the carpet looks clean. But the smaller particles - the ones that are more dangerous to lung tissue because they can penetrate deeper - are not retained by the vacuum cleaner's filter. Instead, they are shot out in the exhaust air, aggravating allergies and redistributing dust, mold spores, lead dust, animal dander, etc., throughout the home. |
| These tiny particulates that are recycled float around for hours before settling down. Anyone in the room is breathing them in. |
| Many carpets contain years of accumulated recycled particulates. Carpets may contain dust, mold spores, pollen, animal dander, dust mites, pesticides, lead dust, asbestos and fiberglass fibers, and other pollutants. |
| From a health standpoint, bare floors can be cleaned a lot better than carpet can. top |
| Particles are measured in the exhaust air. Some vacuums retain tiny
particles, and others recycle them into room air. |
| If a laser particle counter is placed at the exhaust air, it counts the
number of particles in a cubic foot of air. If the number is very low, the
vacuum cleaner is effective. If the number is high, it is recycling tiny
particulates, including mold spores, animal dander, dust mite parts, dust,
lead dust, etc. top |
| Numbers from 0-200 particulates per cubic foot are an indication that a vacuum cleaner is effective in removing most particulates. |
| Frequently I get numbers that are much higher. One well known allergy vacuum cleaner tested at 80,000 particulates per cubic foot. A top-of-the-line brand-name vacuum cleaner tested at 5,500,000 particulates per cubic foot. |
| A water-based vacuum cleaner was off the scale at over 9,999,999 particulates per cubic foot. Larger dirt particles dissolve in the water, so you see the dirty water and think the vacuum cleaner is doing a good job. But the tiniest particulates are shot out the exhaust. A medical study at the University of Virginia compared the effectiveness of the Danish vacuum cleaner, Nilfisk, compared to a water-based vacuum cleaner in removing cat dander from room air: "The sharp increase in airborne cat allergen associated with small particles when the water-filtering vacuum system was used was shown to be due to the formation of fine droplets by the machine. This result leaves little doubt that this type of vacuum cleaner system would not be suitable for patients allergic to cats." "In contrast, the HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner effectively contained the allergen." "Airborne Concentrations and Particle Size Distribution of Allergen Derived from Domestic Cats (Felis domesticus), by Luczynska et al.; American Review of Respiratory Disease, February 1990, published by the American Lung Association. top |
| At this time, Nilfisk seems to have no close competitors. Not only is their filter rated to remove the smallest particulates but each filter is certified by OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration). Nilfisk has been used commercially in lead and asbestos clean-ups for many years. |
| With the Nilfisk allergy vacuum cleaners, such as the new HEPA Family Vac, I have measured 200 particulates per cubic foot or less. Often the meter registers "0." The nearest competitor measures 1,000-25,000 particulates per cubic foot. top |
| "HEPA" means a filter that removes 99.97% of particulates 0.3
micrometers or larger in size. "HEPA" stands for "high efficiency particulate
arrestor." | ||||||||||||
| How large is a particulate 0.3 microns in size? Here are some comparisons:
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| Particles below 10 microns are invisible to the human eye. The most common airborne particle size is 2.4 microns. A conventional vacuum cleaner removes particulates down to about 35 microns or larger in size. From the chart above, you can see that dust mite feces, mold, pollen, bacteria and asbestos fibers would be spewed out the exhaust of an conventional vacuum cleaner. | ||||||||||||
| "HEPA" means various things to different manufacturers. Many
times, there may be a HEPA filter, but there are leaks elsewhere in the chassis
of the vacuum cleaner. With one vacuum cleaner, there were good readings but
two clients told us their vacuums were all plastic and were falling apart
after a year or two of use. Other vacuum cleaners had no bags, so
particulates are released when the collection container is emptied. | ||||||||||||
| Many vacuum cleaners that sound as if they have HEPA filters really don't. Read the ads closely. You will see words such as "HEPA-like" or "removes 99.97% of particles 5
micrometers in size." 5 micrometers is about 17 times as large as 0.3 micrometers. | ||||||||||||
| In addition to having a good filter, it is important for an allergy vacuum cleaner to have a sealed unit. It does little good for particulates to be stopped by a HEPA filter, only to be exhausted through openings in the vacuum housing. HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners are not necessarily designed to be leak-proof. | ||||||||||||
| The Nilfisk Family Vac has both HEPA filtration plus a sealed unit. | ||||||||||||
| Note: If you have a whole house vacuum system, you do not need to buy another vacuum cleaner. The whole house is still the best for indoors, because no exhaust at all is vented in the house. Of course, after filtration, some exhaust is blown into the outside air. This sort of vacuum system should not be vented into the basement or garage. The exhaust vent should not positioned near a window. Some of our clients have complained that they don't get enough suction with their whole house system. top |
| The entire vacuum meets HEPA standards, not just the filter. The vacuum is completely sealed to prevent dust from escaping back into the air through leaks in the vacuum. Canister vacuum cleaners have greater filtration capabilities than do uprights. |
| Nilfisk allergy vacuum cleaners have stood the test of time. The exhausts have always registered extremely low levels (if not zero) of particulates when measured with our laser particle counter. |
| The Family Vac has a self-sealing bag, containing dust and other particulates. We do not recommend the bag-less type of vacuum cleaner. |
| Nilfisk vacuum cleaners were originally used in industrial toxic material control. Manufactured in Denmark since 1910, they have a long history of being used in clean-up of toxic dusts such as asbestos and lead, are used by NASA to eliminate microscopic particles from the cargo bay before any space shuttle leaves the ground, and are used in nuclear facilities and high technology
clean rooms needed for making computer chips. |
| Medical studies show that the vacuum not only retains allergens but also cleans room air while operating. The September 1990 issue of the Mothers of Asthmatics newsletter recognized the Nilfisk allergy vacuum cleaner as a quality vacuum for use by asthmatics. |
| The Nilfisk Family Vac is easy-to use and comes with a complete set of accessories for bare floors, furniture, mattresses, drapes, and clothing. Powerful suction ensures deep down cleaning of carpeting and floor crevices. The canister has heavy-duty wheels designed to provide maximum stability and easy maneuverability. |
| This light-weight vacuum cleaner has a 3-stage filtration process. The exhaust air coming out of the vacuum is virtually dust-free. |
| From the tough, impact-resistant plastic exterior, to the industrial quality motor, to the individually tested HEPA-filter, each vacuum is designed to last. Nilfisk has a limited two-year
warranty. |
| Note: There are two other acceptable Nilfisk allergy vacuums - the GD-90C, no longer being manufactured, and the GM-80, a commercial model. top |
| Please go to Free Info/Allergies. There is a checklist there for you to rate your home. |
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© 2003 May E. Dooley - Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections E-mail: may @ createyourhealthyhome.com Leave message to be notified of countrywide inspection tour 1-888-735-9649 | 717-583-4155 - voice mail Field operations: CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV Last Updated: February 9, 2003 |
