About HazeHotspot & Satellite ImagesHealth AdvisoriesAir Quality InformationFAQUseful Links Portable air cleaners are compact, stand-alone appliances designed to keep the particulate levels of an enclosed space low. In general, there are three main types of air cleaners available in the market. They are: a) Ionisers- which impart negative charge to the particles that subsequently stick to surrounding surfaces or are filtered out; b) Electronic air cleaners- which removes particles by electrostatic precipitation; and c) High Efficiency Particulate Absolute or HEPA- air cleaners which remove particles by mechanical filtration and diffusion. Some portable air cleaners come with a combination of the above features. Several models of air cleaners have been found to be able to reduce the level of fine particles in a typical bedroom to an acceptable level during a smoke haze, such as that experienced by Singapore in 1997. For more information, please view the List of Portable Air Cleaners (For Smoke Haze) and Suppliers.

The listed air cleaners will be able to provide adequate protection to a typical HDB bedroom with its doors and windows closed, except for occasional opening and closing of doors. Doors and windows should be opened up occasionally, or at least once a day, to ventilate the room. For the purpose of smoke haze protection, it is useful to know the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) which means the amount of clean air that a device can produce for a room. air duct cleaning boca raton reviewsA higher CADR indicates greater ability to return clean air to the room. dual snorkel air cleaner mustangKnowing the CADR, as well as the room size where the air cleaner is to be installed will allow consumers to make an informed purchasing decision. dettol air purifier

On the purchase of air cleaner, buyers are advised to speak with the suppliers to obtain detailed product information in ensuring the suitability of the air cleaner to meet individual household needs.World’s First Study in Malaysia Proves Effectiveness of Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ions and Air Purifying Technology in Fighting HazeDecember 23, 2014 at 7:13pm SHAH ALAM, DECEMBER 2, 2014: In Malaysia, air pollution has been a growing social concern in recent years. Three main sources have been identified for air pollution: exhaust gas from automobiles and motorbikes, primarily in urban areas; haze presumably caused by weather conditions and forest fires in Malaysia and neighbouring countries; and pollutants generated through industrial activity. This air pollution is continuously measured by more than 50 general environmental air-monitoring stations operating throughout Malaysia. Air quality is measured on a dedicated scale—the Air Pollution Index (API)—and reported to the public. The API includes five parameters (PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, and O3 [ozone]) and classifies air quality into five levels: good, moderate, unhealthy, very unhealthy, and hazardous.

When it comes to controlling air pollution in Malaysia, one of the biggest challenges is haze. The problem of haze is not limited to Malaysia; it also affects countries throughout Southeast Asia. The worst haze readings so far in 2014 were recorded in Klang Valley on March 14, when API readings reached the “hazardous” level in Port Klang (352) as well as in Banting, Selangor (316). That day, in other parts of Klang Valley and Negeri Sembilan, “unhealthy” API readings were noted in twelve locations: Kuala Selangor (152), Petaling Jaya (186), Shah Alam (165), Batu Muda (176), Cheras (147), and Putrajaya (176). The major source of haze was reportedly 1,441 cases of open burning that occurred nationwide that day. During March 2014, Sharp collaborated with University Putra Malaysia, a prestigious institution in the field of environmental science, to collect and analyze haze samples from various areas in Malaysia and to study the particle size distribution and organic chemicals found in haze.

In terms of particle size distribution, the study found that PM2.5 (i.e., particles measuring 2.5 μm or smaller) accounted for an average of 73 percent of the particles in samples with “unhealthy” API levels (those scoring from 101 to 200) and for almost 100 percent in samples with “hazardous” API ratings (those scoring above 300) (Table 1). The smallest particles identified in this study were 0.0633 µm in size, which is about 40 times smaller than PM2.5. Particles with diameters smaller than that of PM2.5 are said to pose the greatest health risk, as they are fine enough to lodge deeply in the lungs through inhalation.  Through analysis of the organic chemicals contained in haze, the study also found that only small amounts of organic chemicals were present in samples with “moderate” API levels (those scoring from 51 to 100), whereas samples with “hazardous” API levels (those scoring over 300) contained more than 10 times the amount of organic chemicals. These organic chemicals included toluene, a component of agrichemicals and petroleum that is designated as a harmful substance;

and 2-Pentanone, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl (also known as pentanone), a component of diesel and jet fuel.   With the above analysis in mind, Sharp proceeded to examine how effectively the air treatment technologies incorporated into Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) air purifiers could counteract haze. Three Sharp PCI air purifier models—the KC-D60, KC-D40, and FP-E50—were installed in separate 25.6 cubic-meter spaces and set to Haze Mode*1. The air purifiers required around 22 minutes, 38 minutes, and 25 minutes, respectively, to remove 99 percent of haze particles sized 0.0633 µm or larger (Table 2). A further experiment with the Plasmacluster devices showed that they worked to effectively reduce two components found in haze: toluene and pentanone. After 24 hours, they had removed 91 percent of toluene and 44 percent of pentanone, with those numbers increasing to 98 percent and 70 percent after 48 hours (Table 3).  This study—the first of its type in the world—successfully demonstrated that the air treatment technologies employed in Sharp air purifiers could provide excellent protection from haze.