This morning, I went out to lunch with my cousin out in Irvine. Someone was smoking right next to us, and my cousin started coughing. She complained about her asthma, and how it was so hard for her to breathe sometimes. I told her, "Don't you wish we could have an air purifier for the air outside, as well?" She looked confused until she finally asked me what an air purifier was. I was shocked - I thought everyone at least knew what an air purifier did, but apparently I was wrong.

I told her about HEPA filters and how they capture allergens like dust and pollen, and about carbon filters and how they absorb odors and smoke. She was pretty fascinated, so I convinced her to get the small Vornado AQS500 air purifier as a starter. It's small and it's super easy to use, so I thought it would be perfect for her. I haven't talked to her since this morning, but I'm sure that I'll hear some positive results from her by tomorrow!

Indoor Air Quality: Little Known Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

To improve the indoor air quality inside of your home you'll need to find the sources of indoor air pollution. Here are a few of the lesser known ones to make sure you are well on your way to creating a healthier environment in your home.

Ozone: Some household appliances emit ozone, which is a molecule that is unsafe at high levels. Sometimes the amount of ozone emitted from photocopiers, laser printers, ultraviolet sources and electrostatic or ionic air cleaners is a "safe" amount. The problem is that different regulatory agencies disagree on what level of ozone is safe. To make sure you aren't being exposed you can test the level of ozone present in your home with inexpensive ozone test strips.

Carpet: Carpet can be a source of chemical emission because it emits volatile organic compounds. The products used to install carpeting like the adhesives and padding also emit VOCs. Carpet may also absorb biological pollutants such as pesticides, dust mites and fungi.

Paint: After the application of paint, it may off-gas for months. To prevent this, purchase paint with low VOCs and follow all of the recommendations regarding application, removal and ventilation. Also keep in mind that the health consequences can be even greater for children and those suffering from respiratory issues or compromised immune systems.

Cleaning Products: Household cleaning products can be the sources of hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals. Some release their harmful chemicals right away while others release them over a period of time. Make sure you use these products in an area with adequate ventilation.

Furniture: Furniture is most often put together with glue that contains formaldehyde, which will off-gas over time. Formaldehyde is a contributor of allergies, asthma and cancer over long periods of exposure. To prevent this from happening in your home avoid pressed wood products unless you are sure that they are free from formaldehyde.

Cooking: When you cook with a gas stove, nitrogen dioxide is produced at levels that the EPA considers unsafe to breathe. Nitrogen dioxide can worsen asthma and increase the risk of respiratory infection. To prevent these effects, ventilate the stove to the outside or keep a window open while cooking.

Plants: Some common house plants can actually remove harmful indoor air pollution, but others produce VOCs. These plants include peace lilies, areca palms, weeping figs and snake plants. Choose plants that are grown without pesticides and pot them in non-plastic pots (such as ceramic ones).

Ozone: The Important Facts

What is Ozone?

Oxygen, a molecule that is essential to life, is composed of two oxygen atoms. Ozone is a molecule that is composed of three atoms of oxygen. The third oxygen atom has the ability to detach from the ozone molecule and re-attach to molecules of other substances which alters the chemical compositions of those substances.

Is Ozone Harmful?

Ozone can be harmful. The chemical properties described above give ozone the ability to react with similar organic material that makes up the body. This can potentially cause harmful health consequences. Ozone may damage lungs when inhaled and exposure to low amounts may cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. Exposure to ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and hamper the body's ability to fight respiratory infections.

The thing about ozone exposure is that people have different reactions. Sometimes a healthy person will be affected or a person already suffering from respiratory difficulty will have breathing problems. After short term exposure to low levels of ozone recovery is expected but exposures at higher levels for longer amounts of time can be harder to recover from.

What About Using Ozone When Nobody is Around?

Ozone is sometimes used to decontaminate unoccupied spaces from certain chemical or biological contaminants or odors. Even though the space is unoccupied, it is unknown what kind of chemical byproducts may be left behind by ozone decontamination. To make sure there are no potentially harmful health consequences, precautions should be taken to ensure that people and pets are not exposed to ozone during this process. Ozone does not only affect people and pets. Indoor plants, rubber, electrical wire coatings and fabrics and art work containing susceptible dyes and pigments can also be adversely affected. Always keep in mind as well that no agency of the federal government has ever approved ozone generators for use in occupied spaces.

Indoor Air Quality: All About Dust

What is Dust?

Dust is the general name for minute solid particles with diameters less than 20 thou (500 micrometers). The dust that is commonly found in human environments like homes or offices is composed of human skin cells, small amounts of plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil and many other materials that are found in the local environment.

Is Dust Harmful?

It can be. Especially to those who suffer from allergies and asthma. Also house dust mites are present on all indoor surfaces and in the air. They feed on organic matter, which is the main ingredient of household dust. The dust mites excrete enzymes and feces that combine with other household dust, irritating asthma and allergies in humans. Besides affecting your health, dust makes your home dirtier, which attracts more dust. Don't be caught in the cycle!

What Can You Do?

1. De-clutter: Closets and floors should be kept clear for easy cleaning. Items on shelves should be in boxes or in bags. Don't leave rarely worn clothes out. Invest in a portable closet or plastic bins to pack away all miscellaneous items.

2. Change Your Furnace Filter Regularly: This is an important part of dust abatement as forced-air heating or cooling systems help control the accumulation of dust by filtering the air.

3. Change Your Sheets and Bedding: Sheets and pillowcases should be washed weekly because they, along with the rest of the bedding collect skin flakes and shed fibers. Blankets and bedspreads can be taken outside and shaken. Pillows can be beaten as well but washing or dry cleaning is really the best thing to get rid of dust.

4. Clean Well: Some cleaning methods simply spread dust around instead of capturing it. Using a damp rag or disposable cloth to clean is a better solution because these materials attract and hold dust.

5. Carpet is Key: Carpets absorb dust like a giant sponge. If you have severe allergies it may be best to tear out carpeting and install hard flooring. A less drastic solution is to vacuum regularly. Don't forget to vacuum and beat area rugs as well.

All About Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air in and around buildings and structure, most importantly as it affects the health and comfort of building occupants. Indoor pollution sources cause IAQ problems in homes by releasing gases or particles into the air. There is an increase in the level of pollutants when there is not enough ventilation because an inadequate amount of outdoor air is brought in to dilute emissions from indoor sources. This means the indoor air pollutants are not carried out of the home. High temperature and humidity levels can also contribute to the concentration of some pollutants.

Common sources of indoor air pollutants include:

Combustion sources: oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood and tobacco products

Building materials and furnishings: deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products

Standard household staples: products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care or hobbies

HVAC: central heating, cooling systems and humidification devices

Outdoor sources: radon, pesticides and outdoor air pollution

Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Immediate effects of poor indoor air quality may occur after a single exposure to indoor air pollutants or after a few repeated exposures. These effects include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Some symptoms of disease such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and humidifier fever may also occur soon after exposure to indoor air pollutants.

There can also be long term effects from poor indoor air quality that occur years after exposure or after long, repeated periods of exposure. These effects include some respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer and can be severely debilitating or fatal.

Improve Indoor Air Quality in 3 Easy Steps

Source Control: To complete this step you'll need to eliminate the individual sources of pollution or reduce their emissions. This includes sealing or closing some sources and adjusting others to decrease the amount of pollutants emitted. This is probably the most cost effective approach to improving indoor air quality.

Ventilation Improvements: To complete this step you'll need to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. This includes opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans when the weather permits and/or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open. Also helpful in increasing the outdoor ventilation rate are bathroom and kitchen fans. These fan exhaust outdoors, removing contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located.

Air Cleaners: Air cleaners are made in a wide range of types and sizes from inexpensive table top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems. There are two determining factors in the effectiveness of an air cleaner. One is how well it collects pollutants from indoor air which is expressed as a percentage efficiency rate. The other is how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element which is expressed in cubic feet per minute. Any cleaner should be maintained according to the manufacturer’s directions to ensure optimal long term performance.

Breathe Better, Live Longer

It is no surprise that air pollution and life expectancy can be related. For ages we have heard the dangers of smoking cigarettes and second hand smoke, but anyone in an urban environment tell you the immediate difference in their mental and physical health by breathing unpolluted air. Now, a recent study conducted by both Brigham Young University and the Harvard School of Public Health have confirmed what many have suspect; there is a direct correlation between air quality and life length.

Using statics between 1980 and 2000 scientists have discovered that an extra 2.72 years of life can be attributed to air quality. Poor air quality worsens lung and hearts diseases causing a shorter lifespan. Statistics taken in the UK show an average reduced lifespan of 8 months due to air pollution, even with an increase in quality over the last 8 years. Scientists can project that by meeting stricter emission targets they can reduce this number by half. This study does not factor smoking, migration and wealth. By eliminating these issues this number is more honest, but also scarier as well.

So how exactly to do they measure pollution and the effects it has on residents then? Scientists measured tiny particles of dirt with a diameter of one-twentieth of the width of a human hair. These particles then travel deeply into the lungs with each breathe taken and have been linked with the worsening of asthma and heart disease. Cities that managed to show a significant increase in clean air yielded an average of ten more months in life expectancy. With every decrease of 10 micrograms of pollution one can expect an average of 10 months added to the lifespan of its residents. To help put the measurement in perspective cities like Pittsburgh and Buffalo have 14 micrograms per cubic meter.

So what are some solutions to this problem if you live in a highly polluted area? Use products that are energy efficient. Drive a vehicle with a cleaner engine and low emission rate. While you are doing your part, it is doubtful that you alone can reduce pollution outside. However, when you are in indoors, you are in control and can protect yourself with an efficient air purifier.



The Airgle 750

The Airgle 750 air purifier boasts superior filtration power and will help you breathe easier. This air purifier has the highest Clean Air Delivery rate of 159 air purifiers. It boasts a whopping 12 step filtration process that works to clean air better then other air purifiers. It has four pre-filters, 4 HEPA filters, 2 carbon filters and 2 high air flow filters with antimicrobial agents for the cleanest, healthiest air breathable. It is emits no ozone with so it will never negatively effect the air quality.

It is extremely easy to use, with its LCD control panel that lets you adjust the time and speed and alerts you when a filter needs to be replaced. The light sensor switches the unit to silent whenever the room gets dark. It is manufactured from durable materials and has easy glide heavy duty casters that let you easily move the unit from room to room. The Airgle 750 is a great way to keep you and your family healthy despite whatever the pollution level might be outside.

Children and Allergies: Some Useful Tips

Allergy season is upon us, and that means protecting you and your family from allergy related sickness. Children are of course, very susceptible to allergies and on any given day over 10,000 children miss school because of allergies. Forty percent of all kids suffer from a nasal allergy and millions more have food and skin allergies.

This is equally as hard on the child as it is the parent. Play dates can quickly be effected because of both outdoor and indoor allergies. Indoor allergies can range from dust mite fecal matter to pet dander. If you are hosting children, especially allergy sensitive children, over to your house it is important to be prepared with a variety of allergy precautions.

Always have anti-allergen fabric spray on hand. This spray can reduce allergens and is usually both fragrance and dye free so it is safe to use around children and animals. It has been developed to not irritate skin either. Be sure to wash fabric toys and blankets with an anti-allergen bleach as well because it can help destroy allergens that are found in fabric fibers and on hard surfaces.

Be sure to vacuum whatever room you plan on hosting the get together. Be sure to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to complete this task. This filter can eliminate 99.97% of dust, debris, dander and allergens down to 0.3 microns and comes recommended from a variety of health authorities.

Also, be sure to check out if the child has any allergic reactions in their diet. Food allergy and improper diet often speed up the effects of other allergies. Consult your child’s physician on planning a proper meal to help prevent and reduce the effects of allergens.

There are also some products on the market that offer superior sterilization over specific items, like toys, furniture and blankets.

Germ Guardian NS2000 Dry Heat Nursery Sanitizer



The Germ Guardian NS2000 Dry Heat Nursery Sanitizer is a perfect example of this. Toys are a prime location for germs, bacteria and other known allergens. This product allows you to sanitize toys, pacifiers, bottles among other infant instruments that they often come in contact with.

This tool can eliminate 99% of bacteria within 30 minutes making it both quick and effective. It uses dry heat to sanitize and kill bacteria without using any chemicals. Extremely easy and safe to use, the NS2000 shuts off automatically once the cleaning cycle is complete and will never shrink or fade colorful fabrics or melt plastic and rubber items. It has a proven success rate in killing germs that cause pneumonia, RSV, earlobes, diarrhea, colds, and flu and has been tested by third parties to help verify their results.



Germ Guardian LW18 UV-C Sanitizer Wand

For a more portable sanitizer you should look at the Germ Guardian LW18 UV-C Sanitizer Wand. All you have to do is run it over surfaces to kill 99 percent of bacteria and viruses. It also helps eliminates allergens like mold and dust mites as well as odors.

Utilizing UV-C light that is used in hospitals for superior sanitization, all you have to do is hold the wand over an object for 20 seconds at a distance of about 2 inches for quick and effective sterilization. The wand has a maximum of 8,000 hours of use and can be programmed from anywhere between 5-60 minute intervals. The LW18 UV-C Sanitizer Wand is the perfect tool for a quick bacteria and allergen sweep before a childes play date.

Indoor Air Can Be Worse Then Outdoor Air For Children who Sufferer From Asthma

For years, the conventional theory has been that if you are inside your should be free from common allergy and asthma triggers like pollen or pollution. Researchers are now discovering that depending on where you live, indoor pollution can be much worse then outdoor air pollution. Right now, they are trying to educate the public on proper pollution prevention techniques and have a large goal of trying to cut children who suffer from asthma down by 50% by 2012.

While parents have always known that polluted air can bring on asthma attacks, they didn't know how severe the damage that can occur within their homes can be. This is especially true with children who suffer from breathing problems and live within the inner city. Even in their house they are subjected to cigarette smoke, dust mites, mold and even smells that come from cooking with a variety of herbs and spices all of which can trigger an attack.

There is a direct correlation between the air that children breathe at home and the hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits in the U.S. every year. After this study, done by John Hopkins researchers, was released many health care professionals made it their point to educate the public about the dangers of indoor air pollution as an attempt to greatly reduce the amount of child asthma sufferers.

Right now, as many as one in five Baltimore children suffer from asthma, and is the most common disease among kids. The number is disproportionate as a large majority of these kids are inner-city youth. This number has increased greatly over the last twenty years. Unfortunately there is no set specific reason for this increase yet doctors are continuously looking for an answer.

While doctors have known for years that there are always hidden dangers in the air we breathe, this is the first study to directly connect indoor air with asthma. For years, many believed that the simple act of keeping your kids inside during bad pollution days, sweeping the floor and using plug in air fresheners was a good way to keep your family safe and asthma risks down. But unfortunately these misconceptions often do more harm then good. When you sweep you are only kicking up stagnant dust making it easier for inhalation. Air fresheners have been shown to have side effects on young children who have trouble breathing, and the simple act of keeping them inside could be very harmful if your house or apartment does not have proper ventilation.

When trying to keep your house clean, there is a good chance you are making things worse. Air borne insecticides used to prevent mice and cockroaches have a high history of inducing asthma attacks. Also chemicals found in older homes that come from old plaster and wood are beginning to surface as other sources for asthma attacks.

The problem researchers are finding in their Baltimore movement for better asthma prevention is that you begin to encroach on individual rights when trying to educate and change indoor air quality health. This is especially problematic when you discover that for every 10 microgram-per-cubic-meter increase in indoor coarse air particle pollution there was a 6 percent increase in the number of days of coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. This results in a 7 percent increase in limited speech and a 4 percent increase in the number of days rescue medication was needed. Perhaps, the biggest problem is that there is no set standard for levels of indoor air pollution set by the EPA like there is for the outdoors. This, results in more kids staying inside on "bad days" even if inside is worse.

The one thing all researchers recommend is an item with a HEPA filter. This could be on an air purifier or a vacuum cleaner. Either way, it is a very effectual way to eliminate airborne impurities.

What we recommend:



On that note, we recommend the Electrolux EL491A oxygen PlasmawWave HEPA air purifier, in white sleep mode features multiple levels of air filtration. It begins with a pre-filter that catches all the large pieces of debris so that the air purifier can do its job better. The carbon filter eliminates smells without using any harsh chemicals. The true HEPA filter is a great way to eliminate allergens and asthma triggers as it filters, 99.97% of dust, debris, dander and dirt all the way down to 0.3 microns.

The EL491a operates silently and is energy star certified to keep your energy bill low. There is a sleep mode to keep it running smoothly even when you wish to sleep. There are also odor sensors to automatically adjust performance to the level needed. It features five fan speeds and PlasmaWave technology for added power.

The Importance of Going Green

Air purifiers have been proven to be a valuable appliance to any home. A long time has passed since they were once considered "novelty" appliances that were often found in Shaper Image catalogues. The Environmental Protection Agency and its Science Advisory Board have labeled the quality of the air we breathe inside a top five environmental risk to public health. These toxins can include carbon monoxide from poorly vented furnaces and dangerous mold and bacteria from unchecked and undiscovered mold growth. Air purifiers can protect from all these potential dangers and more, but it is important to know what kind of air purifier works for you. There are home, room, commercial, allergy and asthma, pet, smoke, HEPA, ionic, ozone and even green air purifiers. There is plenty of cross over between catagories making searching and purchasing the correct one very confusing. Green air purifiers however offer plenty of features to help you and the environment.

Green Air Purifiers

The phrase green refers products that have been developed specifically to aid you and the environment. They are often made of non-toxic materials, have greatly reduced energy usage and do little to no damage to the environment surrounding them. Green Air Purifiers are designed to encompass all of these features yet they give an added benefit of being green. They purifier the air, something that as the EPA pointed out should be constantly kept clean, for you, your family's and the planet's health.

HEPA Filters are a great way to determine if you are getting the most out of you're your green air purifier. While not necessarily a requirement, HEPA filters are well known for the positive effects. They have the ability to eliminate 99.97% of dust,dander, debris, airborne bacteria, mold spores allergens and other harmful entities all the way down to 0.3 micron level. After a thorough cleaning like that you know you will be breathing cleaner air.

Another good way to rate how green an air purifier is to try to locate an Energy Star seal. Energy Star is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. They rate how well a product works through its energy consumption. The Energy Star seal ensures that you will see a noticeable reduction in your energy bill. But outside of Energy Star seals and HEPA filters how do you know which Green Air Purifier is great for you? Our staff has tested, researched and reviewed green air purifiers and have come up with some suggestions.

The Blueair ECO10 Room Air Purifier with HEPASilent Technology

The Blueair ECO10 room air purifier is a great green appliance. It uses up to 95% less energy then other air purifiers in its class. Even when running on high speed it uses just 10 watts of power, giving you maximum output with minimal energy. As a testament to its efficiency it has been given the Energy Star seal. It can cover 298 square feet easily and runs near silently at only 49 decibels at its maximum output. It features durable construction with galvanized steel housing and a long lasting ultra efficient EC fan motor. Its Swedish design has accumulated numerous awards.

All of these benefits are not to be outdone by the ECO10's filtration power. It does contain a HEPA filter making the air very pure. It is especially effective at filtering smoke, dust and pollen scoring high CADR ratings across the board. It sports multiple purification technology: a 3-stage progressive filter, ionizer and carbon. Its filter service life lasts for a year so you ar not constantly worring about cleaning or replacing the filter like you do on other models. The Blueair ECO10 is an all around great air purifier and exemplifies what a green product should be.