A review by the EPA looked at the most common types of air filters and found that using a combination of HEPA and carbon (like the Austin Air filters) is the most effective. But the review warned against using other popular air filtration technologies such as electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and ionizers.
The Dangers of ESPs and Ionizers
ESPs and ionizers remove articles by an active electrostatic charging process that requires electricity to charge particles that become attracted to and adhere to oppositely charged plates or other indoor surfaces.
Ionizer air purifiers create negative ions – or particles that are charged with electricity. Once in the air, these electrically charged particles attach themselves to pollution like dust, dander, and pollen.
Once attached, the particles fall to the ground to be swept up. But sometimes, they just attach to other surfaces in the home. No matter where they fall if they aren’t cleaned up before they lose their electrical charge the particles can become airborne again.
Worse than that, some ionizers actually create ozone, which is an irritant and can be extremely toxic!
According to the EPA review…
…Many electronic air cleaner devices—including portable and duct-mounted ESPs, ionizers or ion generators, uncoated UVGI lamps, and other products that advertise the use of “plasma,” “ions,” and other similar terms—can generate high amounts of ozone. Ozone is a well-documented lung irritant. Intentional ozone generators should not be used in occupied spaces.
It’s almost absurd that there are air cleaners on the market which can actually add toxins to the indoor air instead of removing them but they’re currently on the market.
This is so alarming that in the spring of 2021, a group of doctors wrote an open letter pleading with school officials across the country to never purchase air cleaners with ionizers, citing studies that show harmful concentrations of chemical by-products can be produced in real-world settings, as a result of the chemical reactions occurring with these types of air “cleaning” systems.
The EPA review also stated…
No federal agency has approved the use in occupied spaces of air cleaners that intentionally emit ozone. Ozone and ozone-generating devices are also discussed in more detail in EPA’s “Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners,” which can be found at www.epa.gov/indoor-air-qualityiaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners
School districts across the US have purchased air cleaners in bulk and learned the hard way that not all air cleaners are created equal.
The Sacramento City Unified School District purchased thousands of air purifiers at a price tag of over $6 million for units that used pseudo-science and potentially released their own dangerous byproducts. The purchase has been a nightmare for parents, teachers, and taxpayers!
