The Technology of Air Purifiers
There are a large number of technologies that are used to
address the need for clean indoor air. There are only a few
however that are actually effective in treating the air
without harming the individual. These are HEPA,
Electrostatic, UV, Activated Carbon, and some other
adsorption materials like Zeolite Clay.
HEPA - probably the best known and most effective as air
purifiers. High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA)
filters were first used by the US Atomic Energy
Commission in the 1950’s to remove small particulates that
are radioactive. HEPA products are also one of the many
techniques and products used by Allergy and Asthma
doctors to help alleviate the symptoms of those conditions.
HEPA material looks like a very thin bail of fibers with as
much as 40 square feet of the filter material folded into the
HEPA section.
HEPA is constructed from fiber or paper-like on one hand
or a polymer on the other. There are three ways the HEPA
filter stops particulates. First, a particle runs into a fiber
and sticks. Secondly, the particle gets within the pore on the
fiber of the HEPA filter. Third, as a very small (about 0.1
micron) particle moves in the gas flow it dithers about due
to collisions with molecules and again happen to slide close
to a fiber and gets caught. HEPA air purifiers stop mold
spores as well as many bacteria and viruses and of course
larger items such as dust. HEPA air purifiers do not remove
odours, chemicals or gasses since these are molecular level
substances.
Therefore typical HEPA air purifiers have some level of
activated carbon based material to absorb odors and
chemicals.
Activated Carbon Filters
Activated Carbon - These include a wide range of
amorphous carbon-based materials which exhibit a high
degree of porosity and an extended surface area. In simple
terms, this means that it has excellent absorbent
characteristics that make it very useful for a wide variety of
filtration processes including air and water.
"Non-activated" carbon is soot or charcoal which is heat
treated to make "activated" carbon. Heat drives out
impurities so there are places for impurities from your air to
reside in when it is used in an air purifier. After activated
carbon is used for a while, it can be reactivated by cooking
it again.
In room air purifiers, the activated carbon is often
combined with other minerals like zeolite. Zeolite can
absorb ions and molecules and thus act as a filter for odor
control, toxin removal and as a chemical sieve. These are
also integrated with HEPA for a wider range of filteration.
In some units, the carbon may be impregnated with a
potassium iodide or blended with impregnated active
alumina to increase the absorbent qualities. These home air
purifiers are particularly helpful to people with Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), because they absorb
formaldehyde which is found in carpet, wood paneling, and
furniture upholstery. Perfumes as well as chemicals in
household cleaning items are also removed, making the
environment much more breathable for people in general,
but especially asthma sufferers, babies, children, and the
elderly. For many people, particulates such as pollens or pet
dander are the main irritants, with odour and chemical
adsorption being less important or not important at all. For
others who need a high degree of both, it is best to look at
the higher caliber room air purifiers which offer
outstanding particle, odor and chemical removal. VOC's
(volatile organic compounds), smog, ozone, fumes from
cooking, pets, or tobacco can be unhealthy or irritating for
anyone not just allergenics and asthmatics. If you're going
to have home air purifiers anyway, it only makes sense to
get some that can absorb practically everything.
Electronic Air Purifiers:
Static electricity is the main source of technology used by
electronic air purifiers in order to clean the air. The static
that is developed by the machine is used to attach a charge
to all particles in the air that is taken in by the air purifier.
When the particles possess a charge, this charge is attracted
to the opposite type of charge. This opposite charge is
placed onto collection plates or other types of medium
inside the air purifier. This medium attracts the charged
particles and they stick to the charged medium instead of
staying in the air.
Electronic air cleaners are able to remove particles, fumes,
odors and gases from the air. The technology used in
electronic air cleaners makes them one of the most effective
and advanced types of air purifiers on the market today.
Electronic air purifiers are an efficient and low maintenance
type of air purifier. They are easy to care for and deliver the
same quality as other filtering systems on the market. With
at least 95% efficiency, it's no wonder that electronic air
purifiers are becoming a popular and convenient way to
provide clean and healthy air.
UV Air Purifiers: UV is effective in killing organisms such
as bacteria and viruses. It achieves this by disturbing the
DNA of the organism at a molecular level. There are two
wavelengths of UV light that are best absorbed and thus
most effective at killing microorganisms. These are 185 nm
and 265 nm. This means that for a UV lamp to be effective
killing microorganisms it must emit energy in or around
one of those wavelengths.The at-risk very old and very
young are typically the population for which UV air
purifiers are purchased. Therefore these air purifiers are
often seen in nursing homes or day care centers. While UV
technology is excellent at destroying viruses and bacteria it
should not be employed without a particulate filter system
ahead of the lamps. Without a particulate filter system, too
many micro organisms may be shaded from the light by
particulates. Therefore, most air purifiers that employ UV
start by filtering the air with HEPA and activated carbon
and use the UV as a final stage of filtration.
Wet Filters
A wet filter is an air cleaning apparatus comprising a sealed
container adapted to hold a liquid, such as water. A
separator compartment is disposed within the container and
has an open bottom extending into the liquid within the
container. The air to be cleaned enters the compartment
within the container and a liquid is sprayed on the incoming
air causing the solid particles therein to be wet and heavy
and drop into the water there below. The air in the separator
compartment exits through a venturi scrubber, further
wetting down any additional solid particles in the air and
causing them to drop into the water in the container as the
air leaves the separator compartment. The air in the
compartment then flows above the liquid, around a baffle,
through a pre-filter, through a high efficiency particulate air
filter and out through an exhaust fan as clean, breathable
air.
Restricted Usage
Ozone Air Purifiers: Ozone is an unstable oxygen
molecule (O3) that oxidizes anything it bumps into. This is
great for removing odors, killing mold and mildew (and
small animals with enough exposure). So, if a home is
flooded or has a sewage backup this technology is often
used by professionals to help clean up the mess. This is an
appropriate use of the technology since people and pets are
removed while the ozone is applied and are only brought
back after the ozone is removed. Prolonged exposure to
ozone can bring on asthma symptoms and with a high
enough level of ozone scar the lungs.
Discontinued
Negative Ion Air Purifiers: Negative Ion purifiers use
chemical injection technology to clean the air. A negative
ion is a molecule that has an extra electron charged with it.
The extra electron is inserted and using a high voltage
needle charges the molecule. The extra electron is then
given up when there is another element that it touches.
When the extra electron attaches to this new element, the
new element is given a charge. This charge that the particle
is given allows it to stick to the next available solid item it
touches. This solid item can be anything from a wall to a
window or clothing. The dust or pollen particles that the
negative ions are able to reach are taken out of the air.
However, these particles are then stuck to the wall or items
in the room that the air purifier is cleaning. The particles
could easily become loose and circulate the air again. The
particles that the negative ion attract and charge are not
cleanly taken out of the air or absorbed into the air purifier.