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Are Air Purifiers Bad for Your Health?

Air quality is a concern in many areas of the United States and around the world, especially because poor air quality is linked to respiratory problems such as asthma. Air purifiers have been marketed as safe and effective ways of cleaning the air in order to reduce or eliminate respiratory issues and diseases caused by air pollutants. The issue of whether these machines are bad for one's health is still debated.

  1. Diseases and Ailments

    • Makers of air purifiers emphasize the need to clean the air inside homes and other buildings, and, according to AllergyEscape.com, indoor air can be up to 100 times dirtier than the air that is outside. Air purifiers can reduce the percentage of bacteria, allergens, molds and dirt in the air significantly, so they may help reduce illness frequency, especially for asthmatics.

    Room Size

    • Air purifiers can filter only so much air at a time, and they can handle only a certain amount of pollutants. Thus, if the air quality in the room is poor enough, or if the room is very large, air purifiers may be a case of too little done too late.

    Types

    • Not all air purifiers are the same. There are several different types, including HEPA, carbon, ionization, ozone, ultraviolet and purifying hydroxyl radical. Each of these types uses a slightly different process to purify the air. Some of these methods are not effective at removing allergens from the air, while some of these methods do little to remove odors and chemicals. The type that is of the most concern is ozone. Ozone can cause lung damage, shortness of breath and worsening of asthma. For this reason, ozone purifiers are being heavily criticized. California passed legislation to take effect in 2009 that bans this type of purifiers in homes. Additionally, Sergei Nizkorodov, a researcher with AirUCI, performed a study in 2006 that showed that air filters that produce ozone below public health standards still may be hazardous.

    Assessment Difficulty

    • Assessing the safety of an air purifier is difficult because some of the health problems that may be caused by these machines are identical to health problems that occur otherwise. For instance, if an asthmatic's respiratory distress increases in frequency, it may be hard to tell whether exposure to elements elsewhere or biological changes, rather than the purifier, are the source of the problem. Additionally, some people are less susceptible to the health problems associated with air purifiers, so those people may remain perfectly healthy even in the midst of a "bad" purifier.

    Education

    • The assumption that all air purifiers remove the same types of pollutants and pathogens is incorrect because of the technology that the different types of purifiers use. If a person is uneducated about air purifier types, then he may purchase a purifier that does not do what is intended. He consequently may never suspect that his illnesses or respiratory problems are linked to the purifier being inadequate. He also may underestimate health risks from a "bad" purifier that targets the specific pathogen about which he is concerned. Education is needed in order to make sure that the air purifier is used correctly and under the right circumstances.

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