Air Purifier: राम-बाण-इलाज of Air Pollution? 4 Best Air Purifiers!!
Do Air Purifiers Really Work?
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| Air Purifier: The Peacemaker |
The ever increasing air pollution compounded by stubble
burning has contaminated the clear and clean air of metros to a level, which
has made living a normal healthy life a distant reality. The lackadaisical approach ruling class and the
argumentative attitude of Indian middle class is acting as catalyst to this
fast deteriorating health hazard. Contrary to any improvement in the AirQuality Index (AQI), it is deteriorating year after year and hence outdoor air
pollution is totally in God’s hand and citizens are left with only option-
monitoring AQI with same vehemence as people used to monitor petrol prices in
late 90s.
Since we spend substantial time at homes, any care taken
indoor will help in great deal. Within 4 walls of our homes also there is lot
of invisible polluted air floating around which is equally damaging.
For indoor air pollution Air Purifier stands out as
the only Saviour, Sindbad, Superhero!!
What is AP –
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| Air Purifier: The Functioning |
An air purifier is a specifically designed device to remove
the pollutants from the air in a designated area – room, which functions best
in an enclosed environment. Benefits of this are clearly visible in people
suffering from breathing related issues, who are asthmatic or any kind of
respiratory allergy.
Technically air-purifiers apply different technologies that
are designed to properly remove the particles from the air. Given are those-
Thermodynamic sterilization- this includes heat
sterilization with a ceramic core that is heated up to 200 degree Celsius. It
is believed that 99% of household bacteria is incinerated.
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation- this particular
method utilizes forced air to keep the air that passes through the UV lamps
clear.
Filter based purification- this is most commonly used
technique and uses HEPA filters that are capable of removing 99.97% of the
pollutant particles that floats around in our rooms.
Polarized-media solutions- it uses electronically
enhanced media to mix up different elements of both electronic and mechanical
filters.
Ozone generators- these are designed to specifically produce
Ozone, a matter benefits of which is highly debatable. Only safe usages of
these air purifiers is in unoccupied rooms, delivering the so-called “shock
treatment” by producing over 3000 mg of ozone every hour.
Ionizer purifiers- they use charged electrical
surfaces to generate electrically charged air or gas ions that would attach to
airborne particles that are then driven to the collector plate. It is very
technologically advance and modern solution and of the best air purifier.This
technology is widely used in car air purifier.
Common Household Air Pollutants-
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| Air Pollutant: The Hidespots |
60% of the dust in each household comes from the soil that is tracked on the bottom of our shoes. The balance 40% originates from the different sources like skill cells, pet fur, and residue of the insects, carpet fibers as well as the kitchen grease. All of these particles are airborne and could lead to some serious respiratory complications, especially if you have asthma or some severe allergies.
Here are some of the most common house hold pollutants that
we expect an air purifier to suck and strangle…
Pet dander- these are particles that are generally
tiny and even microscopic. These are created by the skin shed by cats, dogs,
rodents or actually any kind of animal which has furs or feathers. They could
cause severe allergic reactions is people that are allergic to those animals.
Mold- this is something that appears as a result of
constant moisture. It could also lead to some respiratory inflammations that
might cause further medical complications.
Pollen- this is coarse powder that is normally
contained in some seeds of plants.
Fungi- those could be either a single celled organism
or actually very complex multicellular one. The ones which are of major concern
is single celled as they are capable of triggering an allergic reaction.
Odors-these are unpleasant smells that have
formulated as a result of the stacking of multiple micro particles at one
place. The origin of these can be various as almost each and everything has a
particular odor.
VOCs- these are something which must be taken up with
priority and care. The Volatile organic chemicals(VOCs) are generally exist in
many of the household products like aerosol sprays, hair sprays, glues,
cleaning agents, fabric softeners and the list goes on… Some of the possible
adverse health effects could be eyes, nose or throat irritations, headaches,
various kind of cancer and many more negative impacts.
How Air Purifier Functions-
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| Air Purifier: The Dissection |
Air purifier usually consists of a filter or multiple filters,
and a fan that sucks in and circulates air. As air moves through the filter,
pollutants and particles are captured and the clean air is pushed back into the
living room. Typically filters are made of paper, fiber (often fiberglass), or
mesh and require a regular replacement to maintain optimum performance. This
brings the critical point which will determine the effectiveness of the
invisible benefits expected from an air purifier, which is factoring the
operational and filter replacement cost in totality.
Few Key Elements of an air purifier are listed below-
Pre-filter- this is the first line of defense in an air purifier. It traps the largest dirt and pollen particles when the air directs its way into the filtration system. Without it the HEPA filters won’t last for as long as it probably does which are quite expensive. A pre-filter that is washable and reusable makes air purifier run smoothly and efficiently and for longer periods before one needs to change the HEPA filter.
Activated carbon filter- activated carbon is a very porous material that easily absorbs dirt particles, liquid and gas molecules in the house. These are basically small piece of carbon, usually in powered bock form.These blocks are extremely porous so that any particle any molecule can attach on them.
True HEPA filters- the True HEPA filter, with HEPA
stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, is widely acknowledged as the
most popular and effective air filter. This filter is also the most important
factor to determine the effective performance of an air purifier. HEPA filters are applied in many appliances
like vacuum cleaner, automobiles and aircraft. However to certify as True HEPA
filter, one HEPA air filter must be
certified to remove 99.97% of all microscopic particles as small as 0.3 microns
in size. Microns which are one-millionth of a meter, are how particles are
measured.
True HEPA filter is made of highly dense paper, which is composed of very thin fibers with distances between 0.3 and 2.0 microns. These fibers are distributed randomly and oriented in all directions.
MERV Rating- What is
MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating and how can this make our buying decision smoother? As air moves
through a building’s HVAC system, air filters trap and collect large and small
particles such as dust, allergens and microorganisms. According to the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHARE), this
filtration helps provides healthier indoor air quality. A filter’s MERV number
indicates how it is rated to removes these particles. Filters with higher MERV rating trap small particles more
effectively than filters with lower MERV ratings.
In general, filters with rating of MERV 16 or below are
considered to be HVAC-system-grade filters for residential, commercial and
general hospital use. MERV 17 through MERV 20 filters are typically used in
surgical operating rooms, clean rooms and other contexts that require absolute
cleanliness.
Key Things to Consider while Buying-
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| Key Parameters: Air Purifier |
In your journey to
buy an air purifier, your would have to take many of the technicalities into
considerations few of them I have mentioned
above, this is mainly due to the fact that whatever you buy will have a
substantial impact on the health of self and family members.
Still in my quest to make your buying decision less daunting-haunting,
giving few key aspects in simple language-
Coverage Area- Keep in mind that there are two basic
kinds- those that are designed to purifier the entire house and those that are
to be used in a single room. The former is installed in overall heating, ventilation
and air-conditioning system while the lateral are portable and can be moved
from one room to another basis requirement. In any case you would have to determine the
size of room you want to use it in and buy accordingly.
Size- Those purifiers that are intended to service a
large space will be in size and vice versa. Post considering the spacing and
location of the unit one shall proceed for buying.
Air Exchange Rate-ACH rating would indicate how
frequently the purifier would be capable of exchanging old air with purified
one in a particular area. For example, if the indoor air purifier has an ACH
rating of about 5 for 15’x15’room, then it means that in this given room the
device would be able to pump out purified air a total of 5 times per hour. It
is recommended that, one should opt for an air purifier for asthma that has air
exchange rate of at least 4 and more preferably 6 or 8.
Noise Level-Noise is something which will directly
affects our comfort level especially in the sleep. Tough there is no co
relation between noise level and devices purifying efficiency still you would
want any annoying experience to be avoided. Noise level can be bench-marked with
the air-conditioned noise of your bed room. Make sure that you test all the different
fan speed settings in order to not get any unpleasant surprise back at home.
Manufacturer’s reputation- This is always something
very important to look at for a product like this… “Jack of all trades, Masters
of None” fits well here and we certainly shall refrain ourselves from this
scenario!
“One product lucky” kind of brands cannot hold the testimony
for this niche yet technologically sensitive product. Classic example for this
trait was witnessed couple of years back when Philips launched a cooking
appliances product “Air Fryer”. Just one winter after this launch market was
flooded with more than a dozen of choices from equal number of brands. The
frenzy was so intense that this product category could not take the
burden of the expectations from the brands and kept its snail paced journey. And
finally after 6 years of over-hype, in festive season of 2020, this product has
started to climb its natural glory. As per a brand which is a dominant player
in metro cities after Philips, it is witnessing 300% growth year on year. These
numbers are all the more surprising in COVID19 era of squeezed earning and spending.
Keep in mind that not always the most expensive product is
the best. You might look at the reputation of the producer and if you find
certain cheaper model is reputable than do not hesitate to buy it.
4 Best Air Purifiers-
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| Best Air Purifier in India |
1. Philips AC2887- High efficiency air purifier with
Vitashield intelligent purification. Ideal for medium to large rooms such as
living room. Low noise at sleep mode (20.5dba) - soft as whisper. Check Amazon
2. Honeywell Air Touch i8- Unlike other available options, this model takes air from sides and bottom and releases it from the top, which ensure the maximum circulation of air. Boasts a CADR of 300m3 per hour and cleans a room size of 36m2 in a matter of ten minutes.
3. Coway Sleek Pro AP-1009- Known globally for
manufacturing the world class air purifiers, Coway focus a lot on quality with
sleek and visually appealing designs. With the speed of cleaning at 303 m3 per
hour this device through fresh air much efficiently.
4. Koryo KAP400HUPMI- This homegrown brand widely
accepted by customers who seek a quality product at the most affordable price
has rolled out best-in-class features with this model. True HEPA filter,
coverage area of 450 sq.ft., CADR of 280m3 per hour, 4 filters –Washable pre-filte,
True HEPA filter, Active Carbon filter and Photocatalyst filters are some of
its salient features.
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| Clean Air : The Nature's Gift |
All in all, as you can see there are countless of things and
details that you would have to look out for when you have to make the choice
for the best indoor air purifier. This is
due to the fact that these devices are generally taking care of something that
is really important for you and more so for your family. Final call need to be
taken basis the exact need criteria of this purification device.
Considering the ever deteriorating air quality in cities and around, there is no harm in pre-poning the purchase of this magic potion called- Air Purifier!!
OM NAMAH
Source: aqi.in, safar.tropmet, forhealthyair.com
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