Headaches, sore throat, coughing, Asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing are a few of the symptoms that can be brought on by some air purifiers. Yes, that's right. Your air purifier may actually aggravate many of the health issues you hoped it would solve.
Specific effects may include throat irritation, coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections. Some ozone air purifiers are made with an ion generator, sometimes called an ionizer, in the same unit.
Placing an air purifier in your bedroom can allow you to breathe clean air for hours at a time, which you may not be able to experience during the day. However, to get the most benefit to your indoor air quality, you should make sure that your air purifier is in an ideal spot, like your nightstand, while you sleep.
Since air pollution is a pervasive and continuous problem, it's best to leave your air purifier on all day. There are no perceived drawbacks to keeping your unit running all the time, and if the filters are changed on time it can help to reduce pollutants in the home.
Many of the potential benefits of using an air purifier are related to your lungs, particularly for conditions such as asthma. “By filtering out fine particles, purifiers help clean the air you breathe and lessen the potential negative effects of pollution,” says Dr. Taliercio.
"Air purifiers only filter the air in a very confined space inside the home, which limits their benefit," says Dr. Stukus. "Other than the immediate space or room where they are located, they are not going to impact small particles distributed on other levels or rooms."
Air purifiers that may generate ozone and other harmful chemicals are listed as “Electrical” under the type column. Those that do not generate ozone or ions are listed as “Mechanical”.
Our verdict:
Air purifiers contribute less than 1% to household energy consumption. That's only about 12% of the energy harnessed to run a fridge. You can expect to pay around $22 annually to power an air purifier, with an average daily consumption of 15W.
Even with a window open, air purifiers can work decently and still meaningfully reduce particulate air pollution in the home – by 60% in 20 minutes in our tests.
The sound the machine makes while blowing and circulating air can act as a sleep aid for many people, helping many fall asleep faster. Many air purifiers also have “sleep mode” options to choose from to create the perfect bedroom environment.
The best place to put an air purifier is somewhere in your breathing zone. The closer the unit is to your head, the shorter distance clean air has to travel before it reaches you. In the bedroom, this usually translates to putting the air purifier on a nightstand or small table close to the bed.
Some ozone emitting air purifiers can be harmful. They cause shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain. Exposure to higher levels of ozone can damage your respiratory system. Air purifiers with HEPA and activated carbon filters are generally safe for use.
The technology can be used to remove a wide range of airborne pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
If you decide to purchase a portable air cleaner, filtering air cleaners with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are recommended because these do not emit ozone but do remove particulate matter from the air.
Air purifiers can be effective in removing dust indoors and improving asthma and allergy symptoms. They come with different filters, but studies show that HEPA filters can remove most airborne particles, including pollen, mold, and bacteria.
At the 15-minute mark, the air is 50% as dirty as it was before turning on the purifier. After 80 minutes, the air is just as dirty as it was before. This means that if you turn off your purifier before sleeping, for most of the night your air will be just as bad as not having a purifier.
The device will work most efficiently if you place it in the central part of the room and at a close distance from windows, because it is through them that dirt mainly penetrates. If you want to use the device in the bedroom, it is best to place the air purifier between the window and the bed.
Do air purifiers help with mold? Air purifiers help capture mold spores from the air, preventing them from reproducing and spreading throughout your home. While air purifiers won't help treat active mold that's already present on surfaces, they are a great way to control the spread of airborne mold particles.
Growing research has shown that adding air purifiers can make a huge positive difference to your health and quality of life. Whether it's preventing heart disease or helping students at school, air purifiers that maintain healthy indoor air quality by providing cleaner air play an important role.
Ozone generated by air purifiers does little to remove chemical pollutants. In fact, ozone has been found to react with existing chemicals in the air to create additional toxic pollutants, most notably formaldehyde and ultrafine particles.
Ozone has a very characteristic pungent odor, sometimes described as like chlorine bleach, and it can sometimes be detected after lightning strikes or during electrical discharges. Individual humans vary in their ability to smell ozone; some people can smell it at levels as low as 0.05 ppm.
While an air purifier can reduce the amount of germs floating in the air of your house, there are also other steps you can take to keep your family healthy throughout the cold and flu season. Since bacteria and viruses settle out of the air onto surfaces, you should wipe them down to prevent illness.