How do air purifiers work?

There are two main types of air purifiers with different ways of working. Cleaners with HEPA filters. The fan draws in air, passing it through a filter that traps dust and allergens. The cleaned air returns to the room through another fan. Filters must be changed periodically, otherwise filtering quality will decrease.

Ionic air purifiers. The filter emits large amounts of negatively charged ions into the air. They cling to harmful particles in the air. Therefore, small particles stick together, become heavy and settle on the walls or floor.

How useful are air purifiers?

Ionic purifiers are about half as effective as purifiers with HEPA filters. They are even harmful to health at best; They cause oxidative stress, that is, an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. In the long term, this increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Therefore it is better not to use them.

Things are different with cleaners with HEPA filters. There are several studies confirming its effectiveness:

• In one of them, 30 children with asthma were divided into two groups: one used an air purifier with a filter, the other without a filter (the technology worked, but it was without a filter – it’s essentially a placebo group). After the 6-week experiment, children in the first group used less asthma medication and had lower levels of pollution in their rooms. A study in adults with asthma shows similar results.
• Another study was conducted on patients with allergic rhinitis. 44 people were divided into two groups; one used an air purifier that worked for 6 weeks, the second used a replica. As a result, members of the first group took less medication and the air in their rooms was cleaner.

By the way, plants do not help clean the air. They can be used for decorative purposes but do not replace cleaner.