| nding as it may sound, over 50% of all illnesses | | | | organism. Instead the rays just alter the DNA and |
| are either caused or aggravated by indoor air | | | | RNA profile of the organisms. This makes them |
| pollution. Both organic and inorganic contaminants | | | | sterile so that they in a way become harmless. |
| can be held responsible for this. Among the | | | | With no option of reproducing they can hardly |
| organic contaminants present in air there are | | | | cause any damage. So even if virus and bacteria |
| bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold, etc. These can | | | | do enter our respiratory tract they hardly get a |
| cause severe health hazards like asthma, | | | | chance to grow there. |
| headache, respiratory allergies, sinusitis, | | | | However, there have been issues of contention |
| fibromyalgia, aspergillosis etc. | | | | with UV air purifiers too. One allegation is that the |
| Till recently it was believed that HEPA purifiers are | | | | UV rays hardly get any time to act on the |
| good enough to tackle the problem. Any HEPA | | | | contaminants. It is documented that ultraviolet is |
| purifier has the ability to trap contaminants of the | | | | effective on allergens but only under certain |
| size of 0.3 microns and above. Though such | | | | conditions. Ultraviolet light can alter the DNA and |
| filtration takes care of a lot of contaminants, | | | | RNA profiles of the allergens only after they are |
| there are still a significant number of contaminants | | | | exposed to the light for a considerable period of |
| which still need to be dealt with. But they being | | | | time. The dosage or concentration of light on the |
| less than 0.3 microns in size, are not trapped by | | | | contaminants is also crucial. Skeptics claim that |
| the HEPA purifier. | | | | within an air purifier, the ultraviolet light |
| The recent innovation has been ultraviolet air | | | | doesn’t get enough time to act. Since a |
| purifier. These come either in conjunction with | | | | fan is always working the organisms never settle |
| HEPA purifiers or as stand alone machines. The | | | | down. With the contaminants unsteady the UV |
| ultraviolet air purifiers work on a totally different | | | | rays cannot work on them. |
| concept. Studies have shown that UV rays are | | | | This may be true, but only partially, as ultraviolet |
| effective in dealing with microorganisms of size | | | | will manage to make some impact on the |
| even less than 0.3 microns in size. | | | | pollutants. However, there might be those lucky |
| An UV air purifier actually doesn’t kill the | | | | few, who will be able to escape. |