Top 3 Air Purification Technologies Demystified

With so many types of air purifiers available on the market today, it's often hard to determine exactly which model is best for you.  Before you make a purchasing decision, take some time to familiarize yourself with the different air purification technologies out there.  Here's an overview of some of the 3 most common ones:

HEPA Filters: By definition, HEPA filters must be capable of capturing 99.97 percent of particles up to 0.3 microns in size and it's for this reason that they're one of the most effective types of filters for particle abatement.  HEPA air filters were developed by the Atomic Energy Commission during WWII to remove radioactive dust from their plants.  Since then, they've been in use by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Choose a room air purifier with HEPA if your main concern is dust, pollen, dust mites, and other allergens. 

Activated Carbon Filters: Activated carbon is one of the most absorbent filters available.  Activated carbon is essentially charcoal that has been treated with oxygen. These pores adsorb harmful gases and odors. If you're concerned with chemical fumes, cigarette smoke, or odors, look for an air purifier with an activated carbon filter. 

Ionizers: Ionizers create negative ions which change the polarity of airborne particles.  This causes them to attract together and onto a magnetic collection plate.  Air purifiers with only ionizers are usually pretty quiet, so they're a good choice if you don't like the noise produced by an air purifier with mechanical filtration such as HEPA.