While we have been talking about outdoor air pollution for decades, indoor air quality has more recently become a public health issue. Between home, office, transportation, we spend more than 80% of our time in closed spaces. And the air inside is even more polluted than outside. Hence the growing interest in air purifiers. But who are they intended for? How do they work? And how do you choose the right one?
Spring is a period conducive to allergies due to the proliferation of pollens. So you would think that this is the best season to use an air purifier. Yet these devices are useful all year round. Because the air inside is even more polluted than the air we breathe outside. And indoor pollution isn’t just about pollens. The particles that pollute the air in our interiors do not come only from the outside, on the contrary: they emanate from our homes and are therefore rife all year round.
Who are air purifiers for?
People with allergies, asthma, or respiratory illnesses are of course the main audience for air purifiers. In a polluted interior, these sensitive people may experience breathing difficulties, sneezing, redness or itching in the eyes. However, air purifiers are not useless for less fragile people, even if the feeling of “well-being” is less immediate.
Because that is the difficulty with air pollution issues: the finest and most harmful polluting particles are invisible to the naked eye. It is therefore difficult to assess the state of the air we breathe.
However, all interiors are “polluted”, whatever the place and the season. It is for this reason that it is recommended to open your windows 10 to 15 minutes a day, summer and winter.
While people with allergies or respiratory illnesses can see a direct benefit, purifying indoor air is useful for everyone, all year round.
What are air purifiers used for?
You hear a lot about air pollution and fine particles, but indoor pollution is of a different nature. While some particles are visible (such as airborne dust), it is especially the finest that must be removed, so as not to inhale them. According to the WHO, all particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) are dangerous to health – among these are the famous PM2.5 (which measure 2.5 microns and less).
A small part of indoor pollution comes from outside (pollens, road traffic, etc.). But most of it is mostly inside. It is particularly caused by our activity: when we cook or use cleaning products, DIY products, when we burn candles or incense, etc. humidity in the house also pollutes the air, as do viruses and mites. Finally, some polluting particles emanate from construction materials, furnishings, and decorative objects. This is particularly the case of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), including formaldehyde. These volatile substances are difficult to capture and the activated carbon filter is not always sufficient to filter out all VOCs.
The air purifier, therefore, promises to filter the air in the house to rid it of a large part of these harmful particles.
The essential options
– Automatic mode is more than a comfort; it seems essential to us. Purifiers equipped with such a mode have a sensor that evaluates the quality of the ambient air. Depending on its degree of pollution, the operating speed adapts automatically. This mode allows you to run the purifier properly, at the correct speed, to ensure that you get healthy air quickly.
– The automatic mode is sometimes supplemented with colored lights providing indications on the quality of the air. This can be reassuring because you know at a glance whether the air is healthy or of poor quality. So we don’t just leave the controls to the purifier: we can visualize the evolution of its purification work.
– For the purifier to be effective, its filters must be changed regularly. So it is useful to have warning lights to know when the filters need to be replaced. Most models are equipped with it.
Options for more comfort
– Some purifiers combine several functions: for example, a humidifier or fan, or even an auxiliary heating system.
– Programming is practical: it allows you to plan the operation of the device, on an ad hoc or recurring basis. This gives, for example, the possibility of running the purifier before you go home so that the air is healthy when you arrive.
– Night mode is not superfluous if the device is likely to operate in a bedroom. It decreases the filtration speed and at the same time the noise level – with most manufacturers, this mode also mutes screens and lights so as not to disturb the user.
– Finally, some purifiers are connected. Wi-Fi connectivity is very convenient. It gives the opportunity to remotely monitor the state of the indoor air, activates the operation of the purifier to arrive in a healthy home, adjust and plan its use. Finally, it facilitates maintenance (filter changes in particular). Via the app, some purifiers even provide additional information such as the humidity of the room or the ambient temperature.
