Air "purifiers" create smog

[TechBear_Seattle]

Here's how to create your own personal Stage 2 Smog Alert: Buy an indoor air purifier.

Using a popular process called ionization, the air cleaners can actually generate ozone levels in a room that exceed the worst smog days in Los Angeles, a new study finds.

The devices are popular in urban areas. They are touted as getting rid of dust, pollen and other airborne particles.

The full article can be read at http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060509/sc_space/isntitionicairpurifiersmakesmog

[acmejack]

1. That is a news flash

People like me with weakened respiratory systems are at real risk from those things! And they are pitched to us touting their benefits for our health...terrific!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. It really isn't old news, just confirmation of what was known

When I started having bad sinus allergies a few years ago, I asked my allergist about an indoor air system. I was advised to get a HEPA filter and to stay away from the ionic purifiers for two reasons: ionized air had been linked to health problems, and ozone.

What is news is that this study confirms the ozone warnings and will likely spawn a large number of lawsuits (as it should.)

[AllieB]

3. I heard that on Rachel Maddow this morning

Zoicks!

[mopinko]

4. ask a bird owner

we know all this stuff. we have known about teflon forever, too.

[Phoonzang]

5. Well of course...

...if you're ever in the room with one you can smell it. I got rid of mine because they were stinking up the damn house.

[Codeine]

6. Very bad for cats

and they do a shit-poor job at cleaning the air.

[sutz12]

7. Notice how the Ionic Breeze is doing?

They are pimping a new attachment that supposedly cleans up the ozone to an extent.

And, the clincher, they are offerring a second one for 'free.' I suspect they aren't selling well any more.

[Canuckistanian]

8. Wow, I never thought of that

Ozone is pretty bad stuff, very reactive. I've heard warnings about laser printers and how they should never be used in small occupied rooms.

Then that means that these dust remover type air cleaners on furnaces are bad, too. Those things are magnitudes of power stronger than tabletop units.

[slutticus]

9. No Shit. You can smell the damn ozone they generate.

Smells like a sunny day in Houston.

They needed "a study" to figure this out?

[benEzra]

10. I usually leave ours off, on the "filter only" setting...

separate switches for the ionizer and the fan. Pulls through a HEPA filter, so the fan does the most good.

When we'll be out of the room for a while, I might run the ionizer to clear things out a bit more, but not when we're sleeping in there.