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 | How do you know which are effective for your needs? |
| If you buy an efficient filter, it may offgas toxic chemicals. |
| Do you know which are the healthier filters? |
| How do you evaluate if you need an air filter? |
| When is an air filter helpful? |
| Are air cleaners helpful in odor removal? |
| Yes, air cleaners can get contaminated with mold and bacteria. |
| How do you know how effective your air purifier is? |
| Room air can have high numbers of particulates. |
| AQS odor control - client feedback |
| Car air cleaners |
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This diagram shows filtration structure of the room-size, smaller AQS unit. The
larger unit has wheels for easy maneuverability. Notice the large air intake areas, allowing for slower filtration through the layers of media. Carbon is absent, greatly reducing the risk for mold contamination. The standard AQS has 3 layers of material, not 4. The 4th refers to special media. |
| The AQS was designed by a chemically sensitive manufacturer and has a minimum of plastic. |
| Sealed bearing motors are non-toxic and operate quietly. |
| The AQS removes about 98% of particulates 0.3 micrometers or bigger. This is slightly less than true HEPA filtration, which removes 99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns or bigger. (I have measured many
"HEPA" devices that are substandard.) |
| The AQS by design does not contain a HEPA filter, because HEPA filters
may have glue, and the AQS manufacturer did not want the air to be filtered through glue. |
| Model AQ2 will cover 250 sq. ft., and the AQ3 will cover 575 square feet with four air exchanges per hour. |
| All four sides of the purifier are open to the incoming air. This allows a high volume of air to flow through the unit, so air can go slowly through the 16 different media panels. |
| This slow flow allows the media to more thoroughly trap and hold the smallest dust particles, down to 0.3 microns. This principle is called electrostatic precipitation. |
| In this new type of electrostatic precipitation, where the different media supply electrostatic fields without electric wiring, there is the added advantage that no lung-irritating ozone is produced as it was in older technology where the filter components were attached to positive and negative terminals. |
| There is directional air flow. You can adjust the louver according to your preference. |
| The steel cabinet has an attractive brown frame with black filters. The thermally bonded covering gives off no fumes. |
| The larger model pictured above is on wheels, making it easy to move from room to room. |
| Filter replacement is after six months to a year, depending on contamination levels and air quality needs. |
| Washable prefilters extend the service life of the high efficiency final filters, allowing more economical operation. |
| Filters consist of an activated carbon-impregnated filter for particulates and light odors, washable polyester prefilter for dust, pollen, mold and animal dander, and Borosil and Electret high efficiency particulate filters which combine to give up to 100% efficiency on particles as small as 0.3 microns. Atmospheric dust, cigarette smoke and some bacteria will be trapped by these filters. |
| Chemicals such as formaldehyde attach themselves to dust particles and would therefore be removed to some extent by the AQS - but don't expect any air filter to eliminate odors. |
| With less carbon, there is also less chance of microbial contamination than with units having more carbon. |
| Filter replacement is easy, with no bolts, screws, or tools required. All can be changed in under five minutes. |
| Note: There are specialized filters available with the AQS, such as for formaldehyde, chlorine, and pesticides. I do not list these filters, because my preference is to get rid of the source rather than pour money into specialized
filters - which have limited effectiveness. |
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| AQS-2 - 210 sq ft | $399.00 |
| AQS-2 replacement filter pack | $65.00 |
| AQS-3 - 525 sq ft | $525.00 |
| AQS-3 replacement filter pack | $100.00 |
| Allergy Traveler - DC air cleaner for car | $199.00 |
| Allergy Traveler, with converter to 110 volts | $229.00 |
| Allergy Traveler, replacement media | $40.00 |
| A major question is: What is the source of your oxygen indoors? If you open windows, then using an air filter is counter-productive. You'll be filtering the "great outdoors," and it will just run up your electric bill. If you do not open windows and don't even think about fresh air, then your body may be oxygen-deprived. In my opinion, it is more important to get oxygen, which every cell in the body needs for life and for optimum efficiency, than it is to reduce particulate levels with an air filter. So many bedrooms that I inspect have air filters. The windows are closed, and the air filter runs all night. How do the occupants get sufficient oxygen? Where are the waste gases going that they exhale? As the night goes on, the percentage of oxygen may be decreasing, while the percentage of waste gases is increasing. No wonder the people wake up feeling sluggish and poorly rested. The lesson is: first get your needs met for oxygen. Then you can think about an air filter, if there is a place for one. |
| The Enviro Health manual on indoor air quality helps you evaluate the air quality in your home and offers options for improvement.
See the Services section, Self Help Manuals. |
| In my home, the only options I have for oxygen are the windows and doors. During good weather, I open windows and use an exhaust fan in one window to help draw air through the house. Stale air gets exhausted, and fresh air blows in. It would be pointless to run an air filter. In cold weather, the house (fortunately) is somewhat drafty, and I get air exchange even with the windows closed. Even so, I always have a window cracked in the bedroom at night, whatever the weather. up |
| First, a precaution: I do not recommend running an air filter in the bedroom while you are sleeping. Why? Because the air filter has a motor, and motors give off electromagnetic fields. Avoid unnecessary motors in the bedroom as much as possible. If you must have one, keep it as far away from the bed as possible and do not plug it into an outlet near the bed. Why am I concerned about motors in the bedroom? - because sewing machine operators have been shown to have elevated rates of premature Alzheimer's. It seems prudent to avoid unnecessary exposure to motors in the bedroom, such as with air filters and electric alarm clocks. If you need a white noise machine to muffle sound, search out a battery-operated one. Check the Brookstone catalog. |
| Now, when does using an air purifier make sense?
If your house has a mechanical fresh air source, such as a heat recovery ventilator, or another type of unit to bring fresh air into the ductwork, then an air purifier will reduce particulate levels and can be run all the time. In such a house, the windows don't need to be opened for fresh air. |
| If someone has asthma, certainly extra efforts will be made to keep dust levels down. An air
cleaner may be part of the overall plan. The cleaner could be run for several hours in the bedroom prior to the person retiring, and then turned off at bedtime. |
| Run an air purifier after vacuuming if you don't have a Nilfisk vacuum cleaner or a whole house vacuum system. Standard vacuum cleaners can leave the air dirtier than it was prior to vacuuming. A better plan is to put your money into a new vacuum cleaner (or a whole house vacuum system) rather than into the air cleaner. Also get rid of the carpets if you can. They are a repository for dust and other allergens. |
| If you live or work in an environment where levels of formaldehyde may be elevated (new construction; renovation; particleboard; strandboard, new furnishings or cabinets, etc.), be aware that formaldehyde is attracted to dust. When you breathe in particulates, you are also breathing in formaldehyde. Improve ventilation and/or use an air purifier. |
| If you live in a hot climate where air conditioning is on most of the time, you can run an air purifier to reduce particulates. Upgrading the air conditioning filter to a quality pleated media filter is recommended. Fiberglass filters are to be avoided. Pay attention to the need for oxygen, however, because most air conditioning systems just recycle room air. Window unit AC filters can be upgraded to the 3M Filtret, but you will need to change these filters more often - especially in an urban area. |
| If you live in a metropolitan area, an air purifier will help clean indoor air (but you still need oxygen!). Air is dirtier in cities, by far. I can see from my microscope slides how many carbonized particles are present in city air compared to country air. I also frequently find higher levels of carbonized particulates in homes heated by oil compared to gas or electricity. |
| If cigarette smoke is infiltrating your apartment, use an air purifier to reduce particulates, though the unit won't help much with gases. Find out how the smoke is entering and seal it out if possible. up |
| At a Tools for Schools environmental conference, I heard one speaker say that the "technology is just not there yet" for odor removal. This parallels much of the feedback I have received from chemically sensitive clients. Carbon is used in room air purifiers for odor removal - and it will adsorb odors ...for a while. After it gets saturated (at different rates for different chemicals), it will "dump" the chemical back into the room air. I have been in rooms where the peculiar odor was coming from the air purification device itself. Some people cannot tolerate the smell from the carbon in many purification devices. I have also had feedback that some odors were adsorbed by the air purifier - even into the motor - and seemed to ruin the unit. One individual had a problem with a carpet cleaning product used in the neighboring apartment. She couldn't get the smell out of her room air purifier. Several clients have also reported that strange new odors resulted after using an ozonator for odor removal, and these new odors proved very difficult to get rid of. Air purifiers didn't help.
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| I would be interested in hearing results of independent laboratory studies verifying that any "new technology" is effective in odor removal. Feedback about your experience is invited. | ||||||||||||
| Carbon filters are garbage collectors. Filters said to last several years may give off odors after several months as they get saturated with fumes and pollutants. up |
| Carbon can get saturated with gases - and it can also be a medium for the growth of bacteria or mold. I take air samples at the outlet vents of air purifiers in my inspections, to see if mold spores or bacteria are being spewed out into room air. Since I started taking these samples, some purifiers have been fine and others have been full of bacteria or mold. See Mold Testing if you want your unit checked. I think of one apartment dweller who was referred to me by her physician. Not only did she have the air purifier operating right next to her pillow area, but the unit had extremely high counts of bacteria. She thought she was doing right by using the air purifier, but she would have been better off without it, at least in its present condition and location. |
| If you are planning to use an air filter in a damp area, choose one with
little or no carbon. up |
| I use a MetOne Laser Particle Counter (close to $2,000) to count the particulates 0.3 micrometers or greater in room air. Then I compare the number of particulates from the outlet vent of the air purifier to see what percentage of particulates is being removed. Examples, in particulates per cubic foot: #1 Room air 543,000 From room air purifier 43,300 Relatively efficient filter 43,300 divided by 543,000 = 92% efficiency #2 Room air 1,543,000 From air filter 21,040 Very efficient filter 98.7% removal #3 Room air 1,500,000 From air filter 1,000,000 Ineffective filter 33.3% removal #4 Room air 1,500,000 From air filter 0 Super efficiency - but the client couldn't stand the plastic off-gassing and had to return the unit - great particulate removal but toxic air! 100% removal down to 0.03 micrometers - mold spores, etc. Note: The exhaust air of vacuum cleaners can be checked similarly to determine if the unit is retaining particulates or recycling them to room air. up |
| Our lungs process about 2 heaping tablespoons of particulates per day. Cilia, the tiny hairs lining the respiratory tract, help move these particulates back out. Smoking damages or destroys cilia. The high numbers aren't necessarily a sign of air pollution, though. If the wind is blowing in a forest, you can get high numbers from all the organic debris blowing around. |
| The ideal for a healthy house is to have an energy-tight building with a mechanical source for filtered and dehumidified fresh air, and then use an air purifier in the house. In this environment you will find low levels of particulates, plus fresh air. This is a controlled environment. up |
| One client bought an AQS and specialized filter to remove paint odors from the apartment below. She said it seemed to work for about two weeks, and then she smelled the paint again. She was grateful for the two weeks but now uses her AQS primarily for reducing particulates. |
| Another client had abdominal pains from what turned out to be a pesticide odor coming from a neighboring apartment through the duct system. Before the source of the problem was found, she tried an AQS with a special filter. She said it didn't help. |
| A third client was satisfied with the AQS and special media that she felt reduced odors of unknown origin in her apartment. |
| If you want to try the special filters, I can get information on them for you, but you proceed at your own risk, having been warned. There is no refund on used filters. |
| Also be aware that even though an air filter says it covers X number of square feet, the room containing the unit will show the greatest reduction of particulates. up
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| The Allergy Traveler is a light-weight air filtration unit that runs only on DC electricity from the cigarette lighter. An AC adapter is available. | ||||||||||||||
| Again, balancing the body's need for oxygen and filtration expectations can be difficult. | ||||||||||||||
| The Allergy Traveler is designed to reduce toxic traffic vapors such as benzene, toluene, lead and nitrous oxide, as well as dust, mold, pollen and formaldehyde and phenols from the carpeting, upholstery, heating and air conditioning, glues and other materials in your car. | ||||||||||||||
| One client reported a lessening of headaches from car exhaust when using the Allergy Traveler. However, if you haven't first tried closing the vent in your car so that inside air is recycled, try that and see if headaches lessen. Remember, no air filter is great on odor removal. | ||||||||||||||
| Key benefits of the Allergy Traveler
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© 2001 May E. Dooley -
Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections |
