Ionizer purifiers remove dust and allergiens from the air and are sometimes recommended for asthmatics.
Ionizer purifiers are air purifiers used to remove dust and allergens from indoor air. Ionizers work by charging naturally occurring particles in the air, called ions, with an electrical charge. The electrically charged ions attract dust and allergens, making them heavy enough to fall to the ground, where they can be easily cleaned up. Ionizers often are recommended for asthmatics and those with allergies. However, ionizer purifiers have some drawbacks.
How They Work
Ionizer purifiers send out a stream of negatively charged ions---atoms or molecules that have lost an electron. The negative ions generated by the purifier are attracted to positively charged particles of dust and allergens in the air and cling to them. After enough negatively charged ions cling to a particle, that particle also can become negatively charged and will stick to any positively charged surface, such as the floor or other surface. After they fall out of the air, the dust and allergens are not at risk of being inhaled and can be more easily cleaned up. Some ionizer purifiers also use a magnetic plate to attract and trap particles.
Benefits
Ionizer purifiers work quickly. Fanless ionizers are quieter than most filter-based purifiers because they do not require air to be sucked into the purifier. Fanless models also use less power than purifiers equipped with fans. Because they do not usually have filters, ionizers require little maintenance and cleaning. You will not need to replace filters or clean the ionizer purifier regularly, as you do with some other types of air purifiers.
Drawbacks
Ionizer air filters need to be used constantly to ensure that particles in the room will remain charged. After you turn the ionizer off, the particles will lose their charge and float up through the air again, where they can be inhaled. Most ionizer purifiers do not remove the particles from the air. You also need to dust and vacuum regularly to remove the dust and allergens from the room. In some cases, negatively charged particles can be attracted to the mucus membranes in the body, which can trigger an allergic reaction.
Ozone Concerns
Ionization produces ozone, a naturally occurring molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms. Ozone can be hazardous in large concentrations in enclosed environments. Most air purifiers, and other electronic products, produce some ozone. The Code of Federal Regulation has set a voluntary maximum level for ozone produced by household devices at 50 parts per billion. Some ionizer purifiers produce higher levels of ozone than this and may be dangerous to people with serious respiratory conditions.
Tags: dust allergens, negatively charged, remove dust, allergens from, charged ions, charged particles, dust allergens from
