Last updated on October 8th, 2022
Air purifiers are a popular purchase for people who suffer from allergies and other respiratory conditions. They can help to reduce the levels of allergens in your home, but there is debate about whether or not they actually produce clean air. It’s true that the filters inside an air purifier trap dust particles, pollen, pet dander and other air contaminants; however many of these same filters also emit ozone.
About Ozone and Air Purifiers
Ozone isn’t necessarily bad when it comes out of a smokestack at ground level – we all know how good it feels on our lungs after being outside in the summer heat – but inhaled ozone can cause coughing spells, chest tightness and congestion similar to those experienced by asthma sufferers.
The release of ozone is especially harmful for people with respiratory conditions and allergies. If you’re going to use an air purifier in your home, make sure it has a high-quality HEPA filter that will remove 99% or more of all particles down to 0.003 microns from entering into the body.
Negative Ion Air Purifiers
Many air purifiers on the market today use negative ions to remove pollutants from the air. These ions attach themselves to unhealthy particles, such as allergens, dust and smoke particles, causing them to become heavy enough so that they fall out of the air or are blown away by an electric fan.
Negative ion purifiers release negatively charged particles into the air and can be harmful if used incorrectly. These ions may produce an unpleasant sensation for some people, who might experience dryness of the throat or nose, fatigue or headaches after prolonged exposure to ionized air.
An important thing I want to mention is that negative ion purifiers are not supposed to be used in a bedroom, because they can interfere with your sleep cycle; however if you’re trying get rid of some odors or dust, one of these units could work well for you.
But what if I have COPD? Will this make it worse? For people with lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), air pollution has been shown to worsen their condition in some cases. However, it is important to note that there are no medical studies on using an air cleaner for those who suffer from COPD; so more research needs to be done before making a decision about whether or not you would benefit from one of these units.
There are some models that don’t use negative ions and do not emit ozone. One of them is Nuwave OxyPure air purifier. If you want to know more about this appliance, check the review I wrote before.
Overall, air purifiers are safe to use for people without lung disease sand may be a good investment but always follow your doctors advice on whether or not this appliance will help you better than its risks outweighs the benefits.
My name is Alex Evans and I own this website. I have been in air purifier industry for several years now and nowadays I write about air purifiers, their features, benefits and downsides. Cheers!