CLEARING UP THE AIR
We spend as much as 90 percent of our time indoors, where, according to the American Lung Association, the air can be worse than it is outside. Some 50 million Americans suffer from asthma and allergies.
As yet, there is no whole-house system for combating air pollutants. Furnace filters can deal with the problem at the intake level. Because particles from things like pollen, mold spores, and bacteria do the most harm, the finer the filter the better. The most effective are high-efficiency particulate air filters that remove submicron particles. Filters can also come armed with bacteria-killing chemicals or an electrostatic charge that captures pollutants. Air ducts can be equipped with electronic air cleaners, but the devices may produce ozone, a known lung irritant.
Room air purifiers can combat airborne pests already trapped in homes, including dust mites, pet dander, bacteria from cooking fumes, toxins from cleansers, pesticides, and gasses from carpets and paint. There are hundreds of room units on the market, priced from $40 to thousands of dollars.
Quality depends on the fineness of the filter, the square-footage of the air circulated, and the clean-air delivery rate, which should be at least eight to ten room volumes an hour. Some purifiers rely only on filters, while others use negative ionization and ultraviolet light. UV is preferred, as it does not create ozone as ionization sometimes does.
Health organizations are reluctant to recommend air purifiers, citing the lack of research on their effectiveness. Steve Millett, with the Battelle technology research firm in Columbus, Ohio, says you pretty much have to be a rocket scientist to sort through them.
“There’s a lot of schlock out there,” he says. For example, Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze air purifier is a top-seller and boasts several approval stamps, but Consumer Reports gave it a “poor” rating in its October 2003 issue.
Consumer Reports’ top-rated models for professionally installed purifiers on heating/air systems were the Aprilaire 5000, Trion SE 1400, Trane Perfect Fit TFE210A9FR2, and Honeywell F50. Best scores for room air filters went to Friedrich C-90A, Kenmore 83202, Whirlpool AP45030H0, and Bionaire BAP 1300.
The American Lung Association recommends cleaning air ducts, but the group cautions that doing so can stir up dust in the house, which should then be cleaned out with a good airing and vacuuming. The group also suggests changing filters frequently, vacuuming and sweeping regularly, and improving ventilation by simply opening windows and turning on fans. Roof vents can also be installed fairly inexpensively.
Banning toxins is another approach. Health-conscious homeowners are opting out of natural gas—believed to aggravate chemical sensitivity. They’re ripping out carpets, which can trap pollutants and toxic fumes. Carpets, paints, wood treatments, drapes, and bedding are increasingly available in nontoxic versions—void of substances linked to carcinogens or other poisons.
Other hazards can be found in some building materials such as drywall, which is commonly made out of recycled newsprint. Rosenthal sealed Rothstein’s drywall because she is allergic to materials in newspaper. Instead of mixing recycled motor oil into concrete foundations as some homebuilders do, he used Price Club cooking oil.
Vinegar, baking soda, salt, and other ingredients are healthy and inexpensive alternatives to toxic cleansers.
To find a good quality air purifier visit www.GettingHealthyUSA.com
As yet, there is no whole-house system for combating air pollutants. Furnace filters can deal with the problem at the intake level. Because particles from things like pollen, mold spores, and bacteria do the most harm, the finer the filter the better. The most effective are high-efficiency particulate air filters that remove submicron particles. Filters can also come armed with bacteria-killing chemicals or an electrostatic charge that captures pollutants. Air ducts can be equipped with electronic air cleaners, but the devices may produce ozone, a known lung irritant.
Room air purifiers can combat airborne pests already trapped in homes, including dust mites, pet dander, bacteria from cooking fumes, toxins from cleansers, pesticides, and gasses from carpets and paint. There are hundreds of room units on the market, priced from $40 to thousands of dollars.
Quality depends on the fineness of the filter, the square-footage of the air circulated, and the clean-air delivery rate, which should be at least eight to ten room volumes an hour. Some purifiers rely only on filters, while others use negative ionization and ultraviolet light. UV is preferred, as it does not create ozone as ionization sometimes does.
Health organizations are reluctant to recommend air purifiers, citing the lack of research on their effectiveness. Steve Millett, with the Battelle technology research firm in Columbus, Ohio, says you pretty much have to be a rocket scientist to sort through them.
“There’s a lot of schlock out there,” he says. For example, Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze air purifier is a top-seller and boasts several approval stamps, but Consumer Reports gave it a “poor” rating in its October 2003 issue.
Consumer Reports’ top-rated models for professionally installed purifiers on heating/air systems were the Aprilaire 5000, Trion SE 1400, Trane Perfect Fit TFE210A9FR2, and Honeywell F50. Best scores for room air filters went to Friedrich C-90A, Kenmore 83202, Whirlpool AP45030H0, and Bionaire BAP 1300.
The American Lung Association recommends cleaning air ducts, but the group cautions that doing so can stir up dust in the house, which should then be cleaned out with a good airing and vacuuming. The group also suggests changing filters frequently, vacuuming and sweeping regularly, and improving ventilation by simply opening windows and turning on fans. Roof vents can also be installed fairly inexpensively.
Banning toxins is another approach. Health-conscious homeowners are opting out of natural gas—believed to aggravate chemical sensitivity. They’re ripping out carpets, which can trap pollutants and toxic fumes. Carpets, paints, wood treatments, drapes, and bedding are increasingly available in nontoxic versions—void of substances linked to carcinogens or other poisons.
Other hazards can be found in some building materials such as drywall, which is commonly made out of recycled newsprint. Rosenthal sealed Rothstein’s drywall because she is allergic to materials in newspaper. Instead of mixing recycled motor oil into concrete foundations as some homebuilders do, he used Price Club cooking oil.
Vinegar, baking soda, salt, and other ingredients are healthy and inexpensive alternatives to toxic cleansers.
To find a good quality air purifier visit www.GettingHealthyUSA.com
posted by Jeff at 12:18 AM
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