| If you are especially sensitive to chemicals, gases | | | | gives you the opportunity to see how you may |
| and odors what can you do to make your home | | | | react to different activated carbon blends and |
| a safer, more healthful place? Likely, you have | | | | determine the one best for you. The cost of the |
| already taken steps to eliminate offensive | | | | kit can be applied toward your subsequent air |
| products. Could chemical removing air purifiers for | | | | purifier purchase. |
| home use be your next most effective step? | | | | Limiting Factors of Air Purifiers for Home Chemical |
| Read on to see what you should look for and | | | | Control |
| which ones are most recommended. | | | | Carbon filters physically adsorb gas molecules into |
| The Secret Sauce in Air Purifiers For Home Odor | | | | the surface area of their pores. This can be |
| and Chemical Control | | | | hindered by very humid conditions because the |
| The most effective material for removing odors | | | | water molecules get in the way, to put it simply. |
| and gases from the air is activated carbon. Far | | | | The quantity of gas filter media is also important. |
| better than zeolite, which is considered a poor | | | | As mentioned earlier, a few token ounces is not |
| choice used in cheap air purifiers, activated carbon | | | | enough. Manufacturers using such small quantities |
| can adsorb up to 60% of it's own weight in | | | | do so just so they can add the odor control bullet |
| chemicals. This is why top quality air purifiers for | | | | point to their feature list. You should only consider |
| home gas control include many pounds of the | | | | air purifiers for home odors that include many |
| material, not just a few token ounces. | | | | pounds of gas filter media. |
| There are many different types of activated | | | | Of course, quantity is not the whole story. |
| carbon available. The properties of each one is | | | | Processing methods can open up vastly greater |
| determined by the source material of the carbon | | | | numbers of micropores, and thus surface area, in |
| and how it is processed. Source materials can | | | | one sample versus another. Thus two different |
| range from fossil sources like coal to natural | | | | samples of the same weight may have |
| sources like coconut shell. Processing may include | | | | substantially different levels of effectiveness. The |
| the addition of specialized chemisorbers and | | | | more micropores, the more gas and odor can be |
| catalysts to enhance chemical removal. | | | | removed and the longer the filter will last before |
| High molecular weight volatile organic compounds | | | | its pores are saturated. |
| (VOCs) are readily removed by activated carbon. | | | | Equally important in how long the filter will last is |
| But for lower molecular weight gases like | | | | the quality of pre-filter. An ineffective pre-filter |
| formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide or sulfur | | | | allows tiny particles to enter the activated carbon |
| compounds you'll need activated carbon treated | | | | filter and clog the micropores. Top quality air |
| with a chemisorber. Common ones are alumina | | | | purifiers for home odor control protect their |
| oxide, potassium permanganate, and alumina | | | | precious bed of activated carbon with good |
| silicate. | | | | pre-filtration. |
| These chemisorbers work by first binding with | | | | The Best Air Purifiers for Home Odors and |
| gas molecules, thus removing them from the air, | | | | Chemicals |
| and secondly by catalyzing a reaction between | | | | My short list of recommended manufacturers of |
| the molecule and a water molecule in the air. This | | | | effective air purifiers for home odor and chemical |
| breaks the gas molecule down chemically into | | | | removal are: |
| something harmless like carbon dioxide. | | | | - Allerair |
| If you are a hypersensitive individual, please take | | | | - Austin Air |
| into consideration that some persons report | | | | - IQAir |
| reacting negatively to certain chemisorber treated | | | | - NQ Clarifier |
| activated carbon blends. Before you purchase any | | | | If you would like more information about any of |
| air purifiers for home odors or chemicals you may | | | | these companies and their products then I |
| wish to test yourself against the materials. | | | | recommend either or as two reliable sources with |
| The Canadian manufacturer Allerair supplies a test | | | | informative websites. |
| kit for anyone considering their MCS air purifier. It | | | | |