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Posts Tagged ‘air purifiers’

Guide to whether air purifiers are worth it

September 4th, 2009

You may already own one or are thinking of purchasing one, which is a good idea. Air purifiers have been increasing in popularity, due to their ability to make the air you breathe indoors, cleaner and healthier. By owning one, you are making the place you live or work a healthier place that you enjoy.

Even though home air purifiers are popular, people still wonder whether they are worth it. If you are one of those individuals, then you have come to the right place to find out. It may come as a surprise, but they are actually a good buy and often considered a deal.

Many find the cost associated with air purifiers, quite high. They can be expensive, but they result in cleaner air, making it easier for you to breathe. This is why so many consider them to a great buy. It is important to remember that not all of the air purifiers are the same. This is why it is important to know what you are buying.

When you decide to buy an air purifier, knowing the overall cost is important. The price that you pay at the store is not the only cost you should look into. Instead, you should understand how much it would cost overtime for running it and replacing the air filters that the unit may need. You should know how much it will cost for the replacement filter especially, since some air purifiers may have a lower initial cost, but overtime work out as costing more, just by replacing the air filters. There are some that cost a lot more money, however they have collection grids that you can simply clean and do not have to worry about the cost of replacing them. These will often save you a lot of money in the end.

Before buying the home air purifier, know what you are planning to use it for. Many use them since they have pets or someone smokes in the house. Not all of the purifiers are equipped to remove particles such as this. Make sure to read the descriptions of the air purifiers to make sure they can remove what you want them to. If you end up buying the wrong one, then you will have something that is not worth it, since it does not provide you what you initially got it for.

Overall, it is always good to do research on the items you are deciding on. By doing this, you are sure to find an air purifier that meets the specific needs of yourself and family. When you do finally find the right one, then you are sure to make a purchase that is worth the money and time that you spent on it.

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Ionic Air Purifier – Scientific Peer Reviews or No Deal?

June 12th, 2009

It seems the in thing to criticise the ionic air purifier industry. “No scientific peer review exists” has been a frequent criticism posted on influenza, air quality and indoor pollution blogs.

Mr. John Moore, a researcher at Cornell University and firm believer of the peer review system, made some surprising revelations.

He says:

• “a lust for profit has led to too many journals,…all too easy to find…poor-quality work”

• “not everything in the peer-reviewed literature is correct. Indeed, some of it is downright bad science”

• “the peer review system…it’s the least-bad system that can be devised”.

The public, warns Mr. Moore, must never over-rate every scientific peer review as the “gold standard” as “even reviewed literature can be cherry-picked to support any argument.” It is enlightening that “professional scientists…know that scientific truth evolves on the basis of a mounting consensus, not through an isolated paper that adopts a maverick position, even if it has been peer-reviewed.”

These nuggets of wisdom from an “insider” like Mr. Moore is a boon to all industries, including the ionic air purifier industry, that have fallen short on the burden of proof.

Nothing short of the gold standard demands critics of the ionic air purifier. So do the governing bodies. How do we know that? We simply asked. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) responded thus:

“NIOSH is not aware of any peer-reviewed scientific studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of ion generators/ionic air purifiers against viruses. NIOSH does not have any studies planned to evaluate these devices nor do we have a policy on their use.”

But it was encouraging that the NIOSH has not pronounced final judgment as they also said:

“NIOSH provides support for investigator initiated research. Should someone want to conduct such studies they may apply for funding by mechanisms available and described under “Funding Opportunities” at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/. Proposals are funded annually based on availability of funds, relevance of the proposed work to the NIOSH mission, and the quality of the science proposed.”

At our Ezine article (accessible via The Ionic Air Purifier Blog Ezine widget), we have reproduced the NIOSH’s exacting parameters of a scientific peer review.

Shortage of funding is definitely not the issue. It is not rejection, overt or otherwise, by the governing bodies. Why aren’t there any scientific peer reviews of the ionic air purifier after all these years? It would be great to hear from someone in the ionic air purifier industry.

It is our view that with the advancements in ionic air purifier technologies, manufacturers should tap on available official funding. It may take just one successful scientific peer review to make all the difference? The ideal state would be Mr. Moore’s “mounting consensus” in the scientific community in validating the safety, efficacy and effectiveness of the ionic air purifier.

Ionic Air Purifier – Until Scientific Reviews Abound, Do We Just Give Up On It?

For the time being, users hunting for the ideal ionic air purifier can look to our Ionic Air Purifier Review – 4 Key Factors Model.

It is encouraging that we now know that a scientific peer review to be acceptable to any authority, it must cover the 2 safety aspects in our 4 Key Factors Model.

NIOSH states categorically: “…a scientifically valid study would need to be designed to test whether ion generators are effective in killing viruses to the extent that a hazard no longer remains, and that such technology does not by itself generate new hazards of its own, e.g., ozone or oxidized by-products. The design of such a study would be challenging.”

Sign up at the Ionic Air Purifier Blog to follow our ongoing research.

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