In an era of all kinds of pollution, we need the most updated technology to survive. An air purifier is one of the most modern technologies to combat air pollution. Everyone knows the consequences of air pollution. However, most of us don’t know the benefits of an air purifier. There are many benefits of an air purifier. It can help you in any commercial or residential environment. Air purifiers are also perfect for offices, schools, and hospitals.
Table of Contents
Are Air Purifiers Worth It?
Absolutely. Let’s look at some of the statistics to know why. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air because of less air circulation. It may sound strange, but it’s true. Moreover, indoor pollutants have a 2 to 5 percent higher concentration than outdoor pollutants. The higher the concentration of the pollutants, the more harmful it is. Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat happens because of these pollutants. It also causes headaches, dizziness, fatigue, respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer. Now, with a little investment, if you could get rid of the impacts of pollution, wouldn’t that be great?
Americans spend almost 90 percent of their time indoors. Young people, older adults, and people with heart and lung disease spend more time indoors. If the indoor air quality is not fresh and healthy, you can imagine what can happen to your lungs and respiratory system. By staying indoors most of the time, we are exposed to inhale all the pollutants through breathing. And the consequences are deadly. So, I would say spending on an air purifier is a smart decision.
Are Air Purifiers a Waste of Money?
Not at all. Rather, buying an air purifier is money well spent. Investing money in an air purifier is like investing in your health. Your indoor air quality can impact your health in many ways. Some impacts can be irreparable like – lung cancer, asthma, or heart disease. Most of us think that indoor air is already fresh and purified. But that’s not true. Indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air.
Now, what are the sources of indoor air pollution? Some pollutants are produced inside, and some come from the outside. Indoor sources include – tobacco, fireplace, wood and coal heating, cleaning supplies, paints, radon, mold, and pet dander. Outdoor air pollutants enter the buildings through open doors, open windows, and cracks in structures. Moreover, outdoor climate, weather conditions, air exchange rates, and occupant behavior also affect indoor air quality.
The good news is air purifiers can solve these problems with 99 percent efficiency. There are also other health benefits of an air purifier. So, air purifiers are not at all a waste of money.
You May Also Like: 7 Best Air Fresheners for Kitchen – Best Kitchen Odor Eliminator
What Does an Air Purifier Do?
Air purifiers have internal fans that absorb the air in your home through a series of filters and remove harmful airborne particles such as – dust, bacteria, pollen, etc. After purifying the air, it releases the air back into your room. Throughout the day, an air purifier performs this task several times and keeps the indoor air fresh. Watch this video to know exactly how air purifiers work.
Benefits of an Air Purifier
There are many health benefits of an air purifier. Some of them are very crucial to our health. To be honest, the level of air pollution in the city is life-threatening. Because of the massive industrial revolution, air quality in every city is miserable. Pure fresh air has become a rarity. However, Air purifiers can help us to breathe fresh air in our homes.
Eliminates Triggers of Asthma Attacks
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 13 people has asthma. You can find most asthma triggers in your home, such as – dirt, dust, household cleaners, air fresheners, smoke from cooking, cosmetics, perfumes, and hairsprays. Pet dander, pollen, and dust mites irritate asthma patients’ airways and cause difficulty breathing.
You can vacuum your bed, carpet, and floors to get rid of these pollutants. Still, some of them remain suspended in the air, and they can seriously increase your asthma attacks. Most air purifiers capture these pollutants so you can breathe clean air. HEPA filters, with their multi-layered meshes, can trap pollen, dust mites, and pet dander. In addition, the meshes are thinner than strands of hair, and they can effectively purify indoor air. An air purifier that removes microscopic contaminants is ideal for asthma patients. Along with using an air purifier, you should also increase airflow in your home for the best result.
Removes Allergens
There are many allergens in our home, such as – pollen, tobacco smoke, dust mites, and dander. When pets scratch themselves, they spread a lot of hair and dander that keeps circulating in the air. Moreover, pollen particles flow in with the breeze through open windows, or they stick to your clothes when you are outside.
Breathing in tobacco smoke, pollen, dust, and dander cause our body to produce IgE. IgE is responsible for allergic reactions. To get rid of the allergens, we should use an air purifier. With multi-layered filters, air purifiers can eliminate allergens and produce clean air for us.
Traps Tobacco and Cigarette Smoke
The smoke of tobacco causes pulmonary diseases, bronchitis, dementia, and heart disease. Ear infections, asthma, and pneumonia are also the side effects of cigarette smoke. In addition, second-hand smoke is deadly for children and elderly people because of their poor respiratory systems. With HEPA filters and activated carbon, air purifiers can remove smoke from your room. When you install an air purifier – odor, gases, and smoke pass through the activated carbon and get absorbed in it. Consequently, you breathe the most purified air.
Reduces Harmful Chemicals
Nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide are found in high motor vehicle traffic areas. These gases may come into the house and cause dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in the long run. Moreover, regular household cleaners contain ammonia and chlorine. Daily exposure to these chemicals can lead to a tumor, cancer, or neurological disorders. Air purifiers can clean these chemicals with activated carbon and save you from potential health issues. The carbon filtering process traps the chemicals and recycles fresh air back to the room.
Neutralizes Unpleasant Odors and Eliminates VOC
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are chemicals found in paints, furniture coatings, aerosol sprays, clothes from dry cleaners, stored fuels, and air fresheners. The substances have a strong smell that can cause nausea and breathlessness. You can tell whether there is VOC in your home if you have watering eyes, nausea, difficulty breathing, and a burning or choking sensation in your throat. Air purifiers save you by trapping gases with their multi-layered filters. It also absorbs the smoke and odor of cooking oil or spices. Consequently, you won’t be disturbed by unpleasant smells or embarrassed in front of your guests.
Reduces the Chances of Airborne Diseases
Tiny pathogens floating in the air are the culprit behind the common cold and flu. Airborne diseases are dangerous because they are contagious and can affect every family member. HEPA filters in air purifiers efficiently capture bacteria and viruses. This filtering process saves you from unwanted colds and flu. An air purifier is a must for people with a weaker immune system – like children or senior citizens.
Improves Sleep
Air purifiers capture all the allergens, bacteria, dust mites, and fungi, as a result, improve the air quality. This improved air quality helps you to sleep better. Air purifiers also make a soft and soothing sound that hums you to sleep. The sound that air purifiers make is like the ocean waves or the calming winds on a mountaintop. These peaceful sounds will help you to fall asleep.
Eliminates Radon Gas
Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that emits from building materials like rocks, soil, and granite. You can also find it in homes, offices, and schools. It enters through cracks in the floors and walls, construction joints, or gaps around service pipes, electrical wires, and sump pits. Radon gas damages the cell linings of the lungs and leads to lung cancer. Using an air purifier is the easiest way to remove radon gas. An air purifier sucks the gas into its unit and purifies the air for you. HEPA filters and activated carbon filters can trap radon gas and protect you from its harmful effects.
Extracts Airborne Asbestos Particles
Asbestos is an odorless and tasteless mineral. This heat-resistant mineral is made of durable fibers. In the past, asbestos was used heavily in building materials and everyday products. But later, we came to know that it causes lung cancer and tissue scarring. Swelling in the neck or face, loss of appetite, and difficulty swallowing are some symptoms of asbestosis. To completely get rid of asbestos from your home, you need professional help. Asbestos particles will flow in the air during the removal process. An air purifier can effectively capture the floating asbestos particles. Use HEPA air purifiers to save yourself from the harmful effects of asbestos.
Increases Life Expectancy
Harmful airborne particles can impact our brain and cognitive function. Moreover, indoor air pollution weakens cardiac, respiratory, and even neurological systems. Pollutants can also accumulate in our bodies and seriously damage our most vital organs. By tackling these fatal indoor pollutants, an air purifier can increase our life expectancy in the long run.
Removes Outside Pollutants
Allergic diseases are more common in modern and urban cities. People living in modern cities near highways are more likely to have allergies and asthma. Because the pollutants near these locations include ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and diesel exhaust particles. All of these can be hazardous to those with allergies and asthma. To stop outdoor pollution, you should use an air purifier. You can also create proper ventilation and airflow in your house. But that’s not enough. Along with those, you must use an air purifier.
Reduces Carbon Dioxide Levels in Your Home
We all know carbon dioxide is harmful to us. That’s why we release it every time we inhale oxygen. When we are in a confined space like our home, there is less scope of oxygen circulation. Lack of oxygen circulation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Consuming too much carbon dioxide can cause shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, weakness, increased heart rate, sweating, lung diseases, and even death. An air purifier with a HEPA filter can reduce carbon dioxide in the air and circulate the air in your home.
Removes Dangerous Insects
Mosquitoes carry the germs of some deadly diseases. We know what little mosquitoes can do to our health. We use aerosol and sprays to get rid of mosquitoes. But mosquitos usually do not die from the chemicals of aerosol or insect spray. Rather, we spread toxins in the indoor air by spraying aerosols. So, in an effort to kill the mosquito, we add more toxins to the home environment. However, Air purifiers can do a much better job than aerosols to get rid of mosquitoes and other bugs. By using an air purifier, you can remove mosquitoes without making indoor air toxic.
Lessens Contamination in Hospitals
Most of the hospitals are near freeways, and they draw in a lot of outdoor pollution. Indoor pollution in hospitals is more destructive than anywhere else. People in the hospital are close to airborne viruses and bacteria. The germs can settle on magazines, office brochures, clipboards, doorknobs, and pens. Hospitals use disinfectants, but they are not enough. Rather, they leave toxins in the air. An air purifier can effectively prevent these germs from landing on things. They also remove the toxins in the air left by the disinfectants. Air Purifiers can also be useful in operation theatres.
Conclusion
A small investment in an air purifier can have a big impact on your life. As mentioned above, the health benefits of an air purifier are many. It can certainly improve indoor air quality and provide us with fresh and healthy air every day.
Mehedi Miraz is the creative mind behind PrideGadget.com. With an insatiable passion for gadgets, he crafts captivating blog posts that mesmerize readers. His vast knowledge in technology guarantees informative and inspiring content, making him a go-to for gadget enthusiasts everywhere.
