63 Potentially Hazardous “Air Purifiers”

Consumer Alert! Before Buying a Home Air Purifier, Consult This List

The California Air Resources Board has issued a consumer alert warning consumers against buying products labeled as air purifiers that intentionally produce ozone.

Government authorities have for years been cracking down on industrial sources of volatile organic compounds, and on tailpipe and smokestack emissions of nitrogen oxides. Why? Because in the air on hot summer days, they form ozone, which a growing body of research shows scars the lungs, can cause asthma and other lung illness, and even damage the circulatory system and heart.

Do you want a source of ozone in your living room, when environmental and health authorities warn against breathing even small amounts outdoors? As the California Air Resources Board puts it:

“Consumers may unknowingly purchase these ‘ozone generators’ from advertisers touting the so-called benefits of ‘activated oxygen’ that can make the air inside your home ‘as fresh as the outdoors after a thunderstorm.’ Ozone, a well-known component of smog, has been extensively studied and the harmful effects well documented.

Ozone generators are capable of emitting enough ozone indoors to far exceed outdoor health standards and can intentionally create the equivalent of a Stage 1 smog alert inside your home. These devices pump a well-known air pollutant into people’s homes putting everyone at risk, especially the most vulnerable among us, including the young, elderly and infirm.

The devices can produce potentially harmful levels of ozone that can worsen asthma, cause serious lung inflammation, decrease lung function, and lead to hospitalization for respiratory conditions, emergency room visits for asthma, and increased school absences.

Recently the sale of these devices became regulated by the ARB (in California, not in other states) in order to protect public health. Air cleaners are currently being tested to assure they do not emit harmful levels of ozone; however, testing of air cleaners by certified laboratories is expected to take up to two years, during which time high ozone-emitting devices can still be sold. For that reason, the ARB recommends consumers avoid the purchase of any air cleaner for home or office that intentionally emits ozone.

The best and most effective way to avoid indoor air pollution problems is to remove the sources of the pollution or prevent emissions to begin with. Improving fresh-air ventilation is also helpful.

Persons still wishing to use an air cleaner should look for models that use high-efficiency pleated filters, known as HEPA filters, or electrostatic precipitators that do not emit high amounts of ozone. Guidance for selecting air cleaners, including ratings in Consumer Reports articles and ARB’s fact sheet entitled Air Cleaning Devices for the Home: Frequently Asked Questions.

63 Potentially Hazardous ‘Air Purifiers’ to Avoid

Air-Zone (All models), Airdow (ADA Air Purifier and Air Cleaner (Xiamen) Co., Ltd), Allied Products/Biofeedback Instrument Corporation Kleen-Air King II Model, Alpine
Living Air Classic, Applied Ozone Systems, APSNA – Air & Water Purification Systems North America (All models), Aqua Sun Ozone International, Aran Aqua Pollution Control Systems
Better Living, Sun Aire Air Purifier, BioTech Research, EdenPURE Area Air Purifier, EdenPURE Deluxe Air Purifier, Biozone (All models), Breathe Pure, Capital Vanguard Co., Ltd, Carspa Technology Co., Ltd, Cliff Scott Enterprises (All models), Codyson, Crystal Air (All models)
Csonka (All models), Detail King, EcoQuest (Most models), Fresh Air, Living Air Classic, Breeze AT, Flair, Fresh Air To Go, EcoBox, Ecozone, Ez-com System, Inc., Enaly (Most models)
Fresh-Aire (Triatomic Environmental, Inc.), HealthWay Home Products, Inc., Hefei Sensing Electronic Co., Ltd., Ozone Air Purifier, Imperial Products, Jenesco (All models), King Air & Water Purification Corporation (See Allied Products), Lenntech (All models), LightningAir, Longevity Resources (ZipZone, EnviroPro), Matsutek Enterprises Co., Ltd., Nanbai, Natural Air Natural Air, Nature’s Air, O3ozone, Odatus (All models), Oxytech Research (All models), Ozomax, Ltd., Ozone Environmental Technologies, Ozone Solutions (All models), Peaceful Breeze, Peak Pure Air
Prozone (All Models), Pure ‘n Natural (Certain models), QCH Tradelink, Medi-Aire, Quantum Pure Aire, Queenaire Technologies, Inc., Rain Fresh Air, RainbowAir (All models), Shenyang Bodycare Ozone Research Institute, SpringAir (Certain models), Sun Aire (see Better Living), Surround Air (Two models only), Taoture International Enterprises, Inc., TriMed AirMedic, TriStar Enterprises, LLC, Trump Electronic Company, Ultra-Pure (Real Spirit USA, Inc.), Windchaser (Certain models)
Zhuhai Large Horse Electrical Appliances Co., Ltd., Zontec

Article extracted from The Daily Green, . Read the full article.