Indoor Air Purification – Information

INDOOR AIR PURIFICATION IS VITAL:

Proper, effective purification of the Indoor Air Environment should undoubtedly be an immediate concern for any intelligent person.

The United States government has ranked IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) problems as being one of the top health threats in the country, and health experts and scientists around the world have seen a meteoric, alarming rise in respiratory problems linking back to these same IAQ problems. Asthma amongst children is at an all- time high and the common treatment is to put them on drugs You can properly approach solving allergy and asthma problems only if you are properly informed as to cause, effect and viable methodology.

THE CAUSE: There is a general consensus formed that (aside from food allergies) there are two initial reasons for the current epidemic in allergies and asthma:

• The energy crisis of the 1980s led to increased efforts to insulate to conserve energy, and we have sealed up our indoor environments as tightly as possible, trapping indoor pollutants.
• We are spending considerably more time indoors.

Current estimates are that 80% to 90% of our time is spent indoors.

THE RESULT: The result of the above is that we are in almost constant contact with a host of indoor pollutants. Our immune systems are constantly fighting to ward off the effects of these ubiquitous contaminants and, in many instances, the body begins to trigger to these same allergens. The result? Allergies, or, worse, asthma. It is estimated that two to three out of every five Americans suffers from allergies. This is a wopping percentage, and appears to be steadily increasing.

THE POLLUTANTS: There is a generally established list of common indoor pollutants that cause these respiratory difficulties:

• Molds
• Most molds aggravate respiratory sensitivities
• Some molds can incapacitate sensitive individuals
• A few molds can cause death
• Pollens
• Animal dander
• Cat dander is one of the worst
• Bacteria & Viruses
• Smoke
• Cigarette smoke & cigar smoke
• A cigarette produces over 30 chemicals as it burns
• These chemicals can react with each other to produce over 3,000 possible chemical variations
• 2nd hand smoke places those exposed to it at immediate risk
• Chemical gases
• Heating & cooking byproducts
• Sprays, polishes, cleaning chemicals, disinfectants
• Carpets & carpet backing
• Paints & wallpapers
• The glues & adhesives used in wallboards, plywood & furniture
• Dust mites
• The dust mite itself is essentially harmless
• The dust mite feces & body parts are the culprits
• There are proteins in the above substances that are a strong allergen to people sensitive to house dust
• A general indoor stuffiness & lifeless air quality due to trapped or recirculated air

METHODS OF PURIFICATION: There are a number of methods commonly suggested for use in an attempt to clean the indoor air environment:

• Increase ventilation
  The EPA suggests increasing ventilation. This method has two immediate drawbacks.
  1. It is not feasible, from an energy standpoint, to bring in outdoor air, for example, that is hot when the air conditioner is operating; and, vice versa in the colder months
  2. The outdoor air in many locales, to begin with, is not all that clean
• Decrease or eliminate the source of pollution
  The EPA suggests eliminating the source(s) of pollution. This is a happy thought; however, this endeavor has obvious drawbacks to the end that oneself would have to go live outside to effectively get away from the indoor pollutants – there are simply too many of these pollutants everywhere! On an elemental level, of course, if the cat dander is an allergen to the child do not allow the cat to sleep, etc. on the child’s bed!
• Filter the air
  There are two, almost insurmountable obstacles to this method for home or office use
  1. It is very difficult to effectively cause all the indoor air to be drawn to the filter
  2. What is not drawn to the filter never gets filtered

  About 95% of the particles in the indoor air environment are too small to be filtered by many conventional filter media. Most particles – about 95% – are below .3 microns – the smallest rated size at which a HEPA filter can remove particles.

  There are three main types of filter methods for residential or office use:

  1. Localized room media filter units
     • These normally use pre-filters that require changing as much as four times a year.
     • Such pre-filters typically cost $10 – $12 each – some are much more.
     • The main HEPA filter found on intermediate quality units under normal usage normally requires changing every year or so.
     • Such HEPA filters range from $65 – $200 (or more) each.
     • Each room needs its own filter unit.
     • Such filter units generally cost from $99 to $899 – some units are even more.
     • Over a 10-year period of time the costs associated with owning only two $99 filter units can be in the thousands of dollars.
  2. Ionizing room filter units
     • Such units use electrically charged grids, or plates, that effectively capture particles passing through the grids.
     • These units successfully remove particles down to much tinier sizes than do HEPA media filters.
     • The grids or plates are normally permanent and require cleaning
     • It is a nuisance to clean these grids.
     • Such units suffer the other, characteristic limitations of all the above-listed filter units.
     • HVAC (HeatingVentilatingAirConditioning) media filters (only work when the blower fan is “on” – when “off” these filters are doing nothing).
     • The “throw-away” types filter very poorly.
     • The permanent, electrostatic filters filter much better.
     • They must be cleaned constantly.
     • These filters have the same difficulties as listed above of the other filters.
  3. HVAC electrostatic filters
     • These filter mechanisms have the filtering advantages as noted above of electrostatic vs. media filters.
     • They must be cleaned regularly – a chore.
     • They, again, have the characteristic limitations of filters as noted above.

  There is another type of filter mechanism not mentioned above, and this is a filter unit such as is designed for use in a clean room. In this situation, the filter and the room are essentially designed together to achieve maximum possible air filtration efficiencies; and, in such conditions the filter works extremely well. However, such designs can easily run $100,000 or more; and, thus, are not practical for normal home or office use. There is at least one high-end portable filter manufacturer making very good quality filter products; however, being a filter, such units suffer limitations as noted above

• Ionize the air
  • Ionizers have been successfully used since the end of the nineteenth century to clean indoor air.
  • An ionizer electrically charges a particle so that the particle eventually settles out from the air.
  • Using traditional, needle ionizing designs, the charge from the ionizer must be sufficient to be able to successfully charge a particle in the air some distance – i.e., across the room – from the ionizer.
  • A weak ionizer is a toy – almost useless.
  • A powerful ionizer works well to “sweep” the air; but, traditionally causes a “black wall” effect as some of the ionized particles electroplate themselves to the wall.
  • Such ionizers must be placed in each room to clean the air.
  • This considerably increases the expense of cleaning the air.
  • There is an unique ionizing technology owned by Vollara using a form of a radio wave whereby particles in a 60-foot radius from the purifier are successfully ionized.
  • Only one ionizer is usually needed for each house or office area
  • This is extremely cost effective.
• Oxidize/ozonate the air
  • Ozone is a largely misunderstood, highly effective, natural way to cleanse the indoor air environment.
  • Ozone is a naturally occuring form of oxygen.
  • The oxygen we breathe is O2; ozone is O3.
  • Ozone is the clean, fresh smell we experience after a thunderstorm.
  • Ozone oxidizes (breaks down) organic pollutants such as:
    • Chemical gases
    • Bacteria
    • Viruses
    • Dander
    • Mold
    • Pollens
    • Spores
    • Dust mite feces Etc.
  • Ozone by itself can not successfully clean the indoor air environment unless used in higher than normal levels.
  • Ozone is a powerful, natural oxidizer. A late-generation method of oxidizing is to use the natural properties of hydroxyls. Using titanium oxide and UV light, powerful hydroxyls are created which effectively oxidize an indoor environment. This very process is used to scrub the air inside the Space Station, and this technology used by the Vollara manufacturer in a number of their air purifiers – notably, the Fresh Air air purifier – essentially provides the same type of oxidizing ability as ozone; but, without ozone.
• Purify the air
  • This phrase is so chosen because methods have been developed of purifying the indoor air environment using an air purifier that combines wide-area radio frequency ionization with natural, outdoor levels of ozone. It works indoors exactly like a thunderstorm works outdoors.
  • This air purifier both “sweeps” the air in a 60-ft radius from the purifier to drop particles out of the breathing zone, and it oxidizes/breaks down organic pollutants.
  • It ignores the limitiations of a traditional filter-only unit because it is not a filter.
  • One unit only is needed to successfully purify the indoor air- environment up to – depending on model – 3,000 square feet.
  • This is normally an entire house; or, a large office environment.
  • It is tremendously cost effective to have only one unit.
  • Most importantly – IT WORKS!
  • “Click” here to connect to our webpage on Vollara air purifiers. NOTE: We believe that any attempt to clean the indoor air enviroment has at least some benefit. However, we decisively believe that filters alone (even HEPA or ULPA filters) – unless used in a focused, controlled environment such as in a clean room, etc.
  • simply do not work effectively. We have listed our reasons above.

CONCLUSION:
Indoor air pollution problems are tremendous. The EPA estimates that 60 billion dollars a year is lost in the USA due to poor worker productivity alone, etc. because of IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) problems, and that another 1 billion dollars a year is directly lost for medical expenses due to the same IAQ problems.

THERE IS A WORLD-WIDE EPIDEMIC OF ALLERGY AND ASTHMA PROBLEMS. Do not casually approach your need to clean your indoor air environment – it is a mandatory need! Cleaning the indoor air needs to be on the same level of concern as efficient vacuuming to remove dustmite feces, washing the dishes to destroy bacteria, cleaning the toilet to control disease- causing pathogens, etc. Please e-mail us with your questions and concerns about IAQ and we will do our best to answer your questions.