From the Guidelines
Air purifiers can significantly improve indoor air quality by removing pollutants, allergens, and irritants from your environment, with HEPA filters being particularly effective in removing 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, as demonstrated in guidelines for preventing the transmission of mycobacterium tuberculosis in health-care facilities 1. When considering the use of air purifiers, it's essential to choose a device with a HEPA filter, as they have been shown to be effective in reducing the concentration of Aspergillus spores and can be expected to remove infectious droplet nuclei from contaminated air 1. Some key points to consider when using air purifiers include:
- Choosing an appropriately sized purifier for your room, taking into account the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
- Placing the purifier in areas where you spend most time
- Keeping doors and windows closed while operating the purifier
- Replacing filters according to manufacturer recommendations
- Being aware of air purifiers that emit ozone, which should be avoided, as cautioned by regulatory agencies 1 Air purifiers can be especially beneficial for people with allergies, asthma, or respiratory conditions, as reducing airborne irritants can decrease symptoms and improve breathing, and can be an important part of creating a healthier indoor environment when combined with regular cleaning and proper ventilation 1.
From the Research
Benefits of Air Purifiers
- Air purifiers can significantly reduce concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environments 2
- They can decrease PM10 and PM2.5 by 16.8 and 7.25 times respectively, corresponding to a reduction of about 90% and 80% 2
- Air purifiers can also reduce VOCs concentrations by over 50% 2
- High-efficiency whole house filtration, high-efficiency particulate air sleep zone air filtration, and high-efficiency particulate air room air cleaners can provide various degrees of benefit for patients with allergic respiratory disease 3
Indoor Air Quality Improvement
- Air pollution is a major environmental health risk, and indoor air pollution can have significant health impacts, including cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and ischemic heart disease 4
- Use of air cleaners and filters is a suggested strategy to improve indoor air quality 4
- Air purifiers can slightly improve indoor PM2.5 concentrations, but may not have a significant impact on improving health 5
- Effective ventilation systems, combined with air purifiers, can substantially reduce indoor air pollution in settings like university classrooms 6
Key Findings
- Air purifiers can be an effective tool in reducing indoor air pollution and improving air quality 2, 6
- The efficiency of air purifiers can exceed 95% in capturing ultrafine and coarse particles, and range between 82-88% for particles in the accumulation range (0.3-2 µm) 6
- Indoor air quality has a high impact on the spreading of viral infections, such as SARS-COVID19, making air purifiers a valuable aid in preventing the spread of disease 2