How good is your indoor air quality? It’s time for an air purifier checkup - oregonlive.com
How good is your indoor air quality? It’s time for an air purifier checkup - oregonlive.com |
| How good is your indoor air quality? It’s time for an air purifier checkup - oregonlive.com Posted: 13 May 2021 12:00 AM PDT During last year's wildfires, people searched for ways to stop harmful smoke and pollutants from seeping into their home. They kept windows and doors shut, and covered wall cracks and filled door gaps with weather sealing to block out airborne irritants. Many people who went shopping for air cleaners at the time returned empty-handed. The Home Depot had a run on its air purifiers and shelves in many smoke-laden areas were emptied. Wildfires aren't the only polluters. Hazardous indoor air quality can be caused by smoke and scents of cigarettes, cooking or household cleaning products that linger without proper ventilation. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Outdoor contaminants such as pollen, dander and bacteria can be brought into a home by family members or pets. And everyone's aware of seasonal allergies.
 CowayMega.com, which has introduced the sleek, advanced Coway Airmega 250 ($399) with a three-stage filtration system for spaces up to 930 square feet.Coway The levels of air pollutants are often greater indoors than outside, says the EPA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which offer ways to identify air quality problems. The young, elderly and chronically ill, especially those suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular disease, are most susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution, according to the agency. Since people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, it's important to make sure the inside air you breathe is safe and circulating. An air monitor and air purifier, as well as fans and replacement filters, can help. Health experts and others recommend using only HEPA filters, which force air through a fine mesh and trap particles in central heating, ventilation, cooling and air (HVAC) systems. First in a series No air cleaner or filter will eliminate all air pollutants. But the most effective air purifiers, properly fitted with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate absorbing) filters, can remove almost all allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, according to the EPA. The effectiveness of an air cleaner depends on how well it collects pollutants from indoor air (expressed as a percentage efficiency rate) and how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element (expressed in cubic feet per minute), says the EPA. Portable air cleaners, also known as air purifiers or air sanitizers, are designed to filter the air in a single room or area. Central furnace or HVAC filters clean air throughout a home. There are even travel-size air scrubbers at Amazon. The Molekule's Air Mini ($399) and Mini+ ($499) air purifiers are easy to carry and you can arrange to have new filters delivered on a schedule. Consumer Reports testers found that air purifiers designed to cover at least 350 square feet are more effective overall than $50 tabletop models made for a small space. A portable air cleaner that has a clean air delivery rate (CADR) greater than 300 cubic feet per minute is recommended for highly occupied rooms or a bedroom for someone with asthma. Also to consider when buying an air purifier is the noise, since it may run round-the-clock on maximum setting in a bedroom. It should have an indicator to alert you when it's time to change the filter. Another good feature: An air purifier should monitor the air quality in the room and adjust the fan speed when needed. A screen on the front of the Dyson Pure Cool and the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool shows when there is a spike in pollutants, even if it's from cooking. The machines will automatically draw in more air and push out more clean air. Consumer Reports gave the Alen BreathSmart ($749) an "excellent" rating for removing dust, smoke and pollen at its highest speed and a "very good" score at a quieter low speed. The air purifier was designed for floor or tabletop use in a large room. If you want to get rid of smoke smell, you'll want an air purifier with a carbon filter to absorb odors, says Consumer Reports. The BlueAir Blue Pure 211+ air purifier ($299 at Home Depot) has activated carbon pellets incorporated into the pleated filter. It also has a washable pre-filter that captures larger particles to prolong the life of the main filter. Amazon has air purifiers in all sizes and prices. Take a look. The Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier with a HEPA filter for a 465-square-foot room ($209, save $40.99) has 13,081 high ratings. Bed Bath & Beyond has air purifiers on sale, including the Dyson HP04 Pure Hot and Cool purifying heater and fan in silver ($549.99, save $100). Sharper Image lets you compare its HEPA air purifiers, pet air purifiers, filterless UV air purifiers and the best-selling ionic comfort air purifier ($299.99, save $100 on two). The Home Depot has air purifiers by Alen, BlueAir, Crane, Coway, Dyson, Honeywell and others. >Read the buying guide on the best air purifiers for your home Sylvane has the Oransi MD01 mod air purifier with a medical-grade True HEPA filter ($599 includes standard delivery) that removes airborne irritants. Walmart has free pick up or two-day delivery on its top-brand air purifiers. To check the air quality in your area, visit IQair.com. Or visit the EPA's air quality website, airnow.gov, and type in your city or ZIP code. View interactive maps at the state's web page, oregonsmoke.blogspot.com, or the EPA's web page, fire.airnow.gov. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also allows smartphone users to check air quality though an app that can be found by searching for "OregonAir" in the app store (Apple or Google Play) — Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman  |
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