Pollution is a major concern in the world. Because of globalization, industrialization, automobiles, and even global warming the air quality is being infected.
Major cities like Delhi in India are suffering from polluted air which leads to severe effects on human health, and people suffer from chronic diseases like Asthma, Lung Cancer, pneumonia, and allergies.
But, do you know that indoor air is often more polluted than air outdoor? it is about 10 to 20 times more polluted than outside air. We spend most of our time at home, therefore we must consider improving indoor air quality that puts us at risk.
{tocify} $title={Table of Contents}
So, what kind of pollutants are present in our home.
What pollutants affect air quality.
We are not able to find each and every source of air pollution in our house, even some are very small that we can't see with our eyes.
Here are some pollutants that are present in our house that puts us at risk for a number of ailments.
Pollens are fine powdery substances consisting of microscopic grains discharged from a flower that can trigger allergic reactions. Plant and mold spores and fungus also affect the human body.
Dust and dust mites are tiny microscopic that live on a bed, carpets, and curtains and are the most common cause of an allergy to house dust.
Pet dander and hair are composed of tiny flecks of skin shed by animals, can trigger allergic reactions in people
Mold is a fungus that consists of small organisms, mold spores are usually harmless. If you're sensitive to mold and spores, you could experience health issues.
Toxins from aerosol spray and pesticides, that we use to remove mosquitoes and other insects from home, can cause heart irregularities and breathing problems.
Cigarette and wood smoke, tobacco, and its smell can affect the lungs severely, coughs, wheezing, and asthma.
Bacteria and Viruses can cause severe diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, influenza, and food poisoning.
Household odors from cooking and cleaning chemicals can irritate the eyes or throat, cause headaches and other health problems.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) found in varnishes, cleaning chemicals, paints, and building materials cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, shortness of breath, headaches, and skin problems.
How to eliminate air pollution?
Air pollution can be eliminated by removing or minimizing its sources, do not smoke cigarettes or tobacco at home, and not burning incense sticks, mosquito coils inside the room.
Improve the cross ventilation of the room and kitchen or cooking area by keeping windows open or putting a proper exhaust fan.
Minimize the use of aerosol sprays and pesticides, and try to remove the odors. If possible use natural flowers instead of room fresheners.
Remove the dust regularly with a vacuum cleaner and allow sunlight by keeping windows open at least for an hour a day.
Use high quality branded air purifier that removes air pollution effectively.
What are the air purifiers?
Air purifiers are electronic device that improves indoor air quality by removing dust, smoke, allergens, and other floating impurities through different kinds of filters.
Why do we need an air purifier?
Indoor air is often more polluted than air outdoor, it is about 10 to 20 times more polluted than outside air.
Dust and dust mites, pet hair and dander, pollens, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses can be present in the air which puts you at risk of a number of severe health problems.
Household products like room freshness, aerosol spray, pesticides, deodorants, and cleaning products can be harmful to our health.
Major cities in India have poor air quality and that increases the premature death of people and children, poor air can decrease lifespan by up to 5 years.
Pure air quality can reduce chronic diseases like lung cancer, pneumonia, asthma, and allergies.
Types of air purifiers.
Depending on the place at which an air purifier is used there are mainly two types of them.
Home air purifier.
They are designed to clean the air on a large scale, bigger in size, and work on 230 Volts AC power.
{getButton} $text={Shop Home air purifiers on Amazon} $icon={cart} $color={Hex Color}
Car air purifier.
They are small and portable, used to clean air within a limited space like cars, they usually run on 12 Volts DC and are plugged into the car charger plug.
{getButton} $text={Shop Car air purifiers on Amazon} $icon={cart} $color={Hex Color}
How does an air purifier work?
The air purifier consists of housing, an internal fan, and various types of filters.The fan pulls the polluted air in your home through the various kind of filters which are capable of removing the microparticles like dust, pollen, and bacteria, and circulating the purified air back to the room. This process repeats by the purifier multiple times in an hour to clean the air.
Types of filters used the air purifier.
There is a wide variety of technologies used in the air purifier to clean the air and every technology has the same aim, removing the pollutants like dust, odor, and smoke. Here are some technologies that you need to know before buying the best air purifier.
HEPA filters.
HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air and is also known as High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing, most widely used in many air purifiers. This mechanical air filter allows air through the fine mesh but traps the harmful particles. HEPA filters are efficient in removing 99.9% of particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. HEPA filters need to be replaced from time to time. The HEPA filters can be different depending on size, material, and construction, and it also affects the performance of air purifiers, not all HEPA filters are manufactured identical.
Activated Carbon Filters.
Activated Carbon Filters are made of carbon powder that neutralizes the smoke and chemical and absorbs the odors and gases. This filter often used in combination with HEPA filter can trap 99.97 percent of small particles 0.3 microns. Activated Carbon Filters need to be replaced when fully saturated.
Ionic Air Filters.
They are called air ionizers, they depend on voltage for charging the air molecules. They produce anions which are negatively charged ions that attract the particles of dirty air in the same manner as static electricity. The particles will be deionized when came to contact with anions and they will be removed.
Air Change rate per Hour (ACH) in air purifiers.
The ACH is used to determine the number of purification cycles that the purifier completers in an hour. If the air purifier completes the purification cycle in 20 minutes then the ACH will be 5, which denotes that the air purifier will clean the air in the room 5 times in an hour. Choose the air purifier with a higher ACH number.
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) in air purifiers.
It is defined as the efficiency and quickness of an air purifier works. This is the gauge for defining how many cubic feet of air can be cleaned in one minute, however, this can be different for different pollutants like dust, smoke, and pollen, and each number will be written separated by a slash.
Things to consider when buying air purifiers.
Besides filters, ACH and CDAR, the following are a few factors that might you should consider while buying a good air purifier for your home.
Size of Room.
The size of the room is an important factor that affects the performance of the air purifier. A bigger room will need a larger air purifier. Choosing a small air purifier for a bigger room affects the performance of the air purifier, therefore it is recommended to choose the air purifier with a 20 to 30 percent higher capacity.
Portability of air purifiers.
Might you are not capable of purchasing the air purifier for each room, therefore it is advised to look for the weight and portability of the air purifier. Although air purifiers are heavy appliances, choosing the lightweight among them makes you able to move them from one room to another. Some air purifier is equipped with carrying handle and wheels or trolley for better portability.
The noise level in air purifiers.
Noise is one of the noticeable factors, especially when you are going to use it at night hours in the bedroom. In an air purifier, the fan is the only component that makes noise. Choose the air purifier having variable fan speed, by setting up the minimum speed of the fan you can mitigate the noise levels.
Indoor air quality indicator.
Air purifiers come with LED indicators that help you In monitoring the air quality of the room. The LED light will change the colors according to the air quality that tells you to adjust the fan speed. Some air purifiers are programmed with auto mode, which very the fan speed in response to the air quality. Some models have a mobile app, so you can control and monitor the air purifier remotely.
How to maintain an air purifier.
Air purifiers are subjected to maintenance and are required to clean filters regularly to use Air purifiers effectively. Filters need to replace periodically and they are costly too. The cost of the filter to be replaced should be considered before buying an air purifier. Running air purifiers on optimum use can increase the filter lifespan. Replacing filters does not require much technical skill, you can do it with simple steps. It is advised to use standard filters for better performance.
You have seen various aspects of air purifiers. Air purifiers are not necessary for rural places but became an essential appliance for big cities. If you are living in cities where pollution is a major concern, consider buying an air purifier to keep healthy yourself and your family.