|
Air purifiers will NOT help to protect you in a building with water damage and excess mold. They do not completely rid the air of the mold colony, its spores or mycotoxins. In fact, there is literature showing that gathering the spores together on the filter may lead to "grow through" on the filter itself, which the air passes through! Changing the filter often will help prevent this. But this is not a solution for a moldy school room.
A person who has become hypersensitive to small amounts of mold and chemicals and who may suffer from reactive airways, may find an air cleaner (non-ozone producing, multi-stage, hepi and charcoal filtration if tolerated) helpful in removing some particulate matter and chemicals out of the air, in a clean space. Check with your doctor to see if it is recommended to try an air cleaner. But do not substitute this option for vacating and remediating a moldy school room.
When buying an air purifier - pay close attention to whether or not it emits ozone, intentionally, or as a by-product. See the CA EPA page and warning, below, also from the California EPA. Often, the tip-off for ozone emitting products is the description of the product that alludes to creating a natural, fresh smell in the air, comparable to what is experienced after a lightning storm.
(SMH)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click Hazardous Ozone-Generating "Air Purifiers" to go to the full reports by
Cal/EPA - Air Resources Board
January 12, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not all air-cleaning devices are appropriate for home use — some can be harmful to human health. The ARB recommends that ozone generators, air cleaners that intentionally produce ozone, not be used in the home. Ozone is a gas that can cause health problems, including respiratory tract irritation and breathing difficulty (Ozone and Health).
Through new legislation, Assembly Bill 2276 (2006, Pavley), the ARB has been directed to develop a regulation to limit the ozone emissions from indoor air cleaning devices. The regulation must be developed and adopted by December 31, 2008. For more information on the AB 2276 regulation, please click here.
Survey of the Use of Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners by the California Public —
Final Report Now Available (See below.)
A representative telephone survey of 2,019 California adults was conducted to determine the extent to which Californians purchased and used indoor air cleaners, as well as the reasons for their purchase, the frequency and duration of their use, and to determine other factors that may impact public health.
Fourteen percent of California households own an air cleaner. Two percent (2%) of California households own an air cleaner that intentionally emits ozone (ozone generator), while eight percent (8%) own an air cleaner that may emit ozone as a by-product. An estimated 828,000 Californians (about 282,000 households) may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of ozone from ozone generators.
"Survey of the Use of Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners by the California Public" —
(Final Research Report)
A fact sheet on ozone generators, a list of known ozone generator models, an ARB staff report on tests conducted on several models of ozone generators, a Board meeting presentation and various other fact sheets and articles of interest are provided below.
Fact Sheet: Beware of Ozone-Generating Indoor "Air Purifiers" (March 2006)
List of Hazardous Ozone Generators Sold as Air Purifiers (May 5, 2006)
REPORT: Evaluation of Ozone Emissions From Portable Indoor "Air Cleaners" That Intentionally Generate Ozone, May 2006
PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD: Actions to Address Indoor Ozone Generators: Health Update, Board May 5, 2006
PRESS RELEASE:Some Devices Marketed as Air Cleaners Dangerous to Public Health, Issued May 31, 2006
2005 Documents
Ozone Generators Sold as Air Purifiers: Health Update Presentation to the Board 01-20-05
ARB Warns, Danger from Popular "Air Purifying" Machines, Press Release Issued 01-20-05
For information on how to select an appropriate air cleaner, please click below:
"Air Cleaning Devices for the Home, Frequently Asked Questions" (Fact Sheet)
For additional information on air cleaners and particles, please click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Sources of Ozone Generator Information
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ozone Generator Website
"Air Cleaners: Some Do Little Cleaning," Consumer Reports, October 2005, Vol. 70, Issue 10, p 39-41. Posted with permission from the October 2005 issue of Consumer Reports® for educational purposes only.
"New Concerns About Ionizing Air Cleaners," Consumer Reports, May 2005, Vol. 70, Issue 5, p 22. Posted with permission from the May 2005 issue of Consumer Reports® for educational purposes only.
California Department of Health Services Issues Warnings About Ozone Air Cleaning Devices
Clear Air Delivery Rates (CADR) of Many Air Cleaners - Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warning: Danger from Popular "Air Purifying" Machines by California Environmental Protection Agency
or alternative site for this article: News Release: 2005-01-20"
SACRAMENTO - Today, (Jan. 20, 2005) the California Air Resources Board (ARB) heard evidence revealing the unrecognized danger from indoor air purifiers known as ozone generators. Sold as indoor air cleaners, indoor air purifiers, and personal air purifiers, they intentionally emit large amounts of ozone, a criteria air pollutant, purportedly to clean the air.
"These machines are insidious. Marketed as a strong defense against indoor air pollution, they emit ozone, the same chemical that the ARB and the USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) have been trying to eliminate from our air for decades," said acting ARB Chairperson Barbara Riordan. "More chilling is that some people susceptible to the ill effects of ozone will eagerly bring these Trojan horses home."
Health Update: Ozone Generators Sold As Air Purifiers - CA EPA staff presentation to board
EPA Resources on Ozone and Dangers of Ozone Machines and Air Purifiers
|
