There’s a long-standing link between air pollution and respiratory illness or even cancer.
However, they’re the big-ticket issues for air pollution side effects.
So, what can you do about it?
An air purifier is one option and is readily available to most people.
But is how does an air purifier work, and are they effective at improving your local air quality?
What Does an Air Purifier Do?
But to do this, you need cleaner air.
But in your home, you have another option: an air purifier.
For an air purifier to do its job properly, it has to work in a closed system.
At the rooms entry point, air purifiers use fans to suck in the outside air.
Then, this air is filtered and pushed out as clean air.
From this follows that filters are critical components in ensuring air purifier efficacy.
This replacement cost can range up to $100 annually.
For larger particles, air filters are usually reusable, only required to be meticulously washed.
These pollutants can range from pollen to dust mites.
Such air purifiers are the most common, but you cant rely on them to remove smaller air impurities.
Does an Air Purifier Kill All Bacteria and Mold?
Such air purifiers employ UV (ultraviolet light) filters.
An active air purifier uses higher wattage to expose air to ultraviolet rays constantly.
You will be pleased to know that these air purifiers also killCOVID-19virus particles, including the variants.
They are most commonly marketed with the UV-C featureshort-wave ultraviolet light.
How Can UV Light Kill Viral and Bacterial Particles?
This is because the sun emits a punch in of UV light.
When your skin is exposed to it, it reddens, signifying inflammation.
In other words, your skin cell DNA suffers damage when it is bombarded with UV radiation.
Regardless if a virus is RNA or DNA-based, it suffers the same damage.
This is also the reason why flu seasons retreat during summer and intensify during autumn/winter.
Both viruses and bacteria are single-cell organisms, relying on the integrity of their DNA to survive and proliferate.
Therefore, UV-C air purifiers effectively mimic the sun in enclosed spaces.
Accordingly, they can either give out a bluish hue or be completely invisible to the human eye.
Currently,EPA recommendsthat residential areas use UV-C air purifiers at a 254nm wavelength.
Limits to UV Air Purifiers
To complete their germicidal removal, UV-based air purifiers require longer exposure.
In practice, this means that they lose effectiveness if there is high airflow coming into the space.
Moreover, they can also break down oxygen molecules in addition to viruses and bacteria.
In turn, this creates ozone, which can causenegative health impacts.
To avoid this from happening, manufacturers have started using a special coating to further fine-tune the wavelength.
Such spores require heightened UV radiation and prolonged exposure.
Oftentimes, residential-grade air purifiers are not strong enough to do the job.
What Is the Best Solution for Air Pollution Removal?
In fact, to their volatility, ultraviolet rays may exacerbate them by transforming them into more toxic compounds.
The best models usually have multi-filtration systems, as is the case withCoway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier.
Both government agencies and independent labs show their efficacy if they are properly placed and maintained.
