How To Combat Allergy Season

It’s that time of year again! Spring is beautiful, spring is clean…spring is also that season when numerous allergy sufferers handle a lot of health problems. If you are someone that’s struggling with this problem, you are fully aware of what happens when blossoms are in bloom and the plant pollen counts are up. For this individual, spring can also represent a period of headaches, scratchy eyes and painful throats. This is the time of year when you need to have the Honeywell HFD 130 air cleaner or a similar product out of your cabinet and arm yourself with other allergy fighting strategies.

Here, we’ll go over some ideas and reference recommendations that you could use to get, at the minimum, some relief regarding typical symptoms associated with allergic reactions that are due to the grade of air around us.

Seasonal plant pollen can be quite a huge problem for people who are suffering from allergies. One of the most obvious symptom fighting solutions would be to keep in the house whenever possible when the local pollen counts are high. Sadly, for individuals that love the outdoors, this could truly stink because this can also be the very best time of the year to engage in your chosen outdoor pursuits. You do not really want to discontinue hiking, camping out, bicycling and other leisure pursuits, yet you’ll have to consider the price of how you feel right after doing this to see when it is well worth the likely outcome of allergy symptoms. Ideally the pollen counts will subside a little and you’ll still be able to take pleasure in at the very least some of these hobbies.

It is also crucial that you attempt whenever possible to control the caliber of air within your house. One way of doing so, is by making use of an air purifier such as the Honeywell HFD130. This air purification method, and others that are similar to it, circulate fresh air throughout your own home. Moreover, you’ll find it takes away around 99% of all tiny particles and allergens throughout your own home which can create a massive impact on the individual struggling with allergic reactions. The air purifier will eliminate such things as pollen, dust, tobacco smoke and mold to name just a few good examples.

In addition to utilizing an air purifier which utilizes a HEPA filter which is used to get rid of microscopic particles and allergens in the air, you might also want to invest in a vacuum cleaner that uses a HEPA filter as well. Make certain that it is one that is labeled as a “Sealed HEPA” filter since this shows that all the air will be sucked into the filter without the air being leaked out.

Becoming mindful of when and where you devote time outside, setting up an air purifier like the HFD 130 and having a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter are all things which can be done to help ease typical allergy symptoms. This can be particularly useful during periods of the year any time pollen counts are high and when these things don’t help relieve painful signs and symptoms, you may also need to see your physician concerning obtaining some kind of allergy treatment plan.

Ionic Air Purifier Technologies – Boon or Bane?

Introduction

Ionic air purifiers hold the promise of clean air, purified of all known harmful contaminants that threaten our health. Air is made impure by substances unseen by our naked eye. Invisible weapons against invisible enemies seems the obvious answer. I find the intuitive logic appealing. Yet, even before an hour of internet research has lapsed, a whole deluge of controversy is thrown up by google. Even though I am tempted to quickly get an ionic air purifier to clean the air I breathe, it is clear that more time and effort is needed. Safety, more than effectiveness, must be given higher weightage in the selection of an ionic air purifier.

The recent China melamine saga that killed infants also serves as a reminder to us that in buying into any technology or any product, all claims by manufacturers and distributors must be screened to the fullest extent that our resources permit. Where the reactive agent is invisible, it becomes even more critical to focus on it. Investigating ionic air purifier technologies falls within this ambit as the reactive agents are invisible ions.

This article is an overview of existing ionic air purifier technologies in the global marketplace. Trying to understand the science behind the technologies seems to be the logical place to begin searching for the ideal ionic air purifier. A dominant current trend appears to be the creation of an invisible but potent defence shield against airborne molecular contaminants. The dominant global health threat under the scrutiny of scientists is the avian flu virus.

Types of Ionic Air Purifier Technologies

Broadly speaking, air purification technologies can be deployed in either passive or active modes. Passive typically means that impure air is drawn into the air purifier for the reactive agents to work on before re-emerging as cleaned air into the environment. Conversely, in active mode, reactive agents are pumped into the impure air environment. Interestingly, marketeers betray their lack of confidence in their own ionic air purifier technologies by combining both passive and active modes.

In the global market today, ionic air purifier technologies include the following categories:

(A) Ion generator – positive and negative ions
(B) Ion generator – negative ions only
(C) Photocatalytic Oxidation (POC)
(D) Electrostatic filter
(E) Combos

Ion Generator – Positive and Negative Ions

This combination of positive and negative ions appears to show the most promise for the future of ionic air purifier technology. Pioneered by the Japanese corporate giant, Sharp Corporation, they are known as plasmacluster ions.

Plasmaclusters of positive and negative ions encircle and latch onto harmful bacteria and viruses in a deadly grip. In so doing, the production of hydroxyl is activated. Hydroxyl, also known as nature’s detergent, is a powerful reactive species that plucks out hydrogen molecules from the organic structure of these airborne particulates thereby destroying them. The by-products of this chemical reaction, mainly water, are harmless.

A differential ion generator is used in this technology, comprising a positive and a negative ion generator which can be powered in alternate cycles to control the type of ions generated.

Advocates of the positive and negative ions combination claim that a balance of both these ion types is to be found in places like waterfalls and pristine forests, i.e. this is the real state of the natural environment. Diametrically, believers of the negative ions technology take the view that negative ions dominate the space in natural habitats and that positive ions are actually harmful. Thus far, I have not found any independent scientific studies to support the opposing claims of the two technologies.

Ion Generator – Negative Ions

The traditional ionic air purifier produces only negative ions. This method seems to dominate market share in the industry but is coming under serious threat from Sharp’s plasmacluster positive and negative ions technology.

It is claimed that nearly all harmful airborne particulates like dust, smoke and bacteria etc have a positive charge. Negatively charged ions are naturally attracted to these particulates until they sink to the ground by sheer weight. Regular vacuuming removes these impurities from our environment. Detractors of negative ion technology believe that the “overweight” particulates on the ground are not destroyed and that the mere act of walking on them re-contaminates the air.

There appears to be several methods of producing negative ions. It is crucial to know the various methods as each may have different by-products, some of which are harmful. These methods include:

(1) Water method – this employs what is known as the waterfall or Lenard Effect. Onto an electrically-charged metal plate, water droplets are splashed. The charge splits the water droplets resulting in the production of a large number of negative ions. It is claimed that no harmful by-products are produced by the water method.

(2) Electron radiation method – this is based on a single negative discharge electrode needle. The simple application of a high voltage pulse to the electrode results in millions of negatively-charged electrons being produced. This method does not result in ozone being produced. This is believed to be due to the application of a “smaller” energy pulse.

(3) Corona discharge method – this is based on a dual electrode model, a sharp metal electrode and a flat electrode. A very high voltage is applied between the two electrodes. This causes the movement of electrons between the electrodes thereby ionising the air in between them. An inherent flaw of this method is the production of harmful by-products like ozone and nitride oxide.

Photocatalytic Oxidation (POC)

This technology is commonly applied in a passive mode. It relies on the production of the powerful reactive agent, hydroxyl.

Germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light is commonly shone on a catalyst (usually titanium oxide) to produce hydroxyl, oxygen and peroxide, all of which are potent oxidising agents that are very effective at destroying the organic structure of micro-organisms and gaseous volatile organic compounds.

Complete and comprehensive action is the pillar of POC technology. Proponents of this technology claim that POC inactivates ALL categories of indoor pollution, including:

(1) airborne particulates i.e. dust, pet dander, plant pollen, sea salts, tobacco smoke, industrial and car pollution, etc

(2) bioaerosols i.e. biological compounds that may be infectious (e.g. pathogenic bacteria and viruses) or non-contagious and non-infectious (e.g. non-pathogenic bacteria, molds, cell debris)

(3) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) i.e. gaseous chemicals or odours – benzene, styrene, toluene, chloroform, hexane, ethanol, formaldehyde and ethylene all common emissions from everyday products of our modern home.

POC technology has been criticised for relying on hydroxyl which are believed to attack with equal tenacity the organic structures that make up molecular contaminants and our lung tissue, nose membranes and eye cornea.

Electrostatic Filter

This technology appears to have originated in heavy industries which produced abundant pollutants. The typical arrangement in an electrostatic filter ionic air purifier comprises a porous dielectric material sandwiched between two electrodes. The dielectric material impedes electrical conductivity whilst the electrodes efficiently conduct electricity.

As impure air is drawn into the electrostatic purifier, it passes through the dielectric material which acts as a sieve. Electrostatic forces between the electrodes causes airborne particulates i.e.dust, smoke contaminants, to stick to the surface of the dielectric. Purified air emerges from the other end of the purifier.

Quite often, an ion source is placed before the electrostatic filter to impart an electric charge to the airborne particulates. Charging the impurities make them adhere more effectively to the dielectric material.

Criticism of electrostatic filter technology focuses on ozone as a by-product, commonly assumed to be produced in all ionisation processes.

Combo Ionic Air Purifiers

To cater to the various adherents and critics of the diverse technologies, combos incorporate all or some of the above types of technologies. Combos may include:

(1) adsorptive materials such as activated carbon or oxygenated charcoal (known for its extremely porous large surface area) are added to POC technology to enhance the removal of VOCs;

(2) oxidizing catalysts like titanium oxide are coated on various components of all types of air purifiers to enhance VOC elimination;

(3) reducing catalysts such as manganese dioxide are coated near the exit outlets of many air purifiers to reduce reactive species like ozone and nitric oxide which may be harmful;

(4) generating ions by differing methods such as using microwave, UV light, radio frequency waves, and direct current;

(5) tweaking the specifications of any ionic air purifier technology so as to attain the well-known HEPA status without actually using HEPA filters.

Obviously, the process of selecting the most efficient and effective ionic air purifier involves analysing a deluge of information. The safety issues of each technology will need much more investigation. I will also be studying in greater depth the claims of each technology. It is natural to want to quickly want something that promises to improve the air quality in your homes, offices, factories, schools etc. But I urge you to do your homework and check back here for updates as I continue to look for the ideal ionic air purifier.

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Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier – State-of-the-art Japanese Technology Against Bird Flu

In a dramatic press update on 27 August 2008, Sharp Corporation unveiled its latest technological weapon against bird flu! Incorporated in its ionic air purifier, the Plasmacluster Ion Technology (more on this in a later post) has just been scientifically proven to be 99.9% effective in eliminating the bird flu virus known as H5N1.

Every now and then, the press reminds us that bird flu is the prime suspect to cause mankind’s next pandemic. Pandemic sounds terrifying. It is. That’s when a highly contagious and deadly virus goes global, in a very negative sense. 50 million people may die in a global pandemic. No way, you say. But its happened before, during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic! That was blamed on the H1N1 virus which was only recently confirmed on 5 October 2005 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a bird flu virus.

PANIC STATIONS! PANIC STATIONS?

Not quite, not yet anyway. Statistically, as recorded by WHO as at 10 Sep 2008, “only” 245 people have died from the H5N1 virus. This is since 1996 when the virus first surfaced in China. So what’s the fuss? The greatest nightmare for scientists monitoring the bird flu virus is to see it attain human-to-human transmission capability. Currently, there has been only one probable case of human-to-human transmission recorded in Thailand in September 2004. If indeed the much-feared virus mutation takes place, you can expect pandemonium on a global scale.

As the threat grows day by day, countries around the globe are conscientiously preparing for the worse (more on this in a later post). As protectors of our families and loved ones, we should start doing some homework too.

Ok, so what’s all this got to do with Sharp’s ionic air purifier. Is it not just another ordinary ionic air purifier? Yes, because it takes care of the usual pollutants (dust, dirt, smoke, dander, pollen, cuisine odors, pet odors, allergens etc) that contaminate the air that we breathe and live in. But if we can get protection from all these and more in one ionic air purifier, especially one that is a tested defense shield against a potentially deadly virus, why not? The complete package is promised in Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion Air Purifier.

Obviously, for the value-conscious, the next logical question would be “yes, that makes a whole lot of sense but at what cost”? At no extra cost, Sharp claims! Sharp contends that over a 5-year period, it is cheaper than any other competing ionic air purifier. Wow, value for money sure gets my attention! But, how is this possible in this nothing-is-for-free world?

Yes, its possible, claims Sharp. For instance, in its Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier Model FP-N40CX, Sharp contends that it is undoubtedly better value for money as there is no filter replacement costs for the first 5 years. Upfront costs at US$399 for the Sharp model is higher than the typical competitor’s US$160. But the latter requires annual filter replacement costs of US$100, adding to a total cost of US$560 over 5 years.

Since I have only started on this study, I would greatly appreciate any feedback on the numbers quoted by Sharp. Do let me know if you have recent actual data.

My next move would be to seriously investigate the Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology. Now is the time to research, while bird flu is still not quite at pandemic proportions.

Its never too soon to get ready. Believe me, I have seen it. I remember my family, along with thousands of other frantic people, scrambling around town looking for the much-touted N95 face mask when the last near-pandemic scare took place in Asia. SARS! Four letters that struck terror in Asia. The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus started spreading from Asia, infected 8,096 people around the world, resulting in 774 fatalities. We all know that being well prepared is half the battle won.

Watch this space as we track exciting developments in our pursuit of safe, pure and clean air with nothing more than an ionic air purifier.

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