Consumer Reports on Air Purifiers

Consumer reports on air purifiers started coming out some years back to the effect that some products were actually harmful rather than beneficial to the health. Certain brands of air cleaners were said to be ineffective in cleaning air. Furthermore, they were also shown to release ozone at potentially dangerous levels.

The consumer reports on air purifiers were controversial since air cleaners have generally proven to be effective. At least one manufacturer of an air filter brand mentioned in the reviews sued the people responsible for disseminating it - but the suit has since been thrown out.

It should be noted, however, that reputable US health organizations have endorsed the brands mentioned in the reviews. Although, after the controversy generated by the reviews, more consumers now stay away from air purifiers that generate ozone. Many of these go beyond federal limits AND ozone is a known asthma-trigger.

Consumer Reports on Air Purifiers - Backed by Research?

The problem with consumer reviews is that research is done in variable environments. Some are done in a simulated home setting, others in an office setting. Some may allow ventilation while others may not.

What does government research show? Government research generally deals with the process utilized by an air-cleaning product rather than its brand. This makes it difficult for consumers to navigate the wide range of product choices. What is even more confusing is consumer reports on air purifiers will typically deal only with brand names.

At any rate, the process called ionization or the negative ion process used in air filters has been studied by several government agencies.

The US Department of Agriculture, for example, tested ionization in one of the most polluted places - a poultry farm! The USDA research showed that ionization reduced the transmission of bacteria among chicks by as high as 98%. Airborne bacteria were brought down to 95%, while dust and sundry particles were driven down 99% inside a minute.

Other Research on Air Purifiers

Academic institutions have also studied various aspects of ionization and its effect on the physical as well as psychological health of individuals.

A Columbia University study, for instance, revealed that persons who suffered from chronic depression, particularly during winter, found relief using negative ion filters on the same level as antidepressant drugs. Ionization also showed no side effects.

Research conducted by the St. James University Hospital, on the other hand, showed that the incidence of infections in intensive care patients was significantly reduced when negative ion filters were utilized. Ionization was discovered to be effective in removing airborne bacteria, thereby reducing infections acquired in hospital.

Remember that the best consumer review will probably be your own. Your household situation may be unique or vastly different from the conditions used in a certain study.

If you want to make sure that the brand you buy will not end up being a waste of money, check the conditions under which the consumer research was made. A publication or website that does not give you details on their test conditions should probably not be trusted.

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