A breathing ionizer is an air purifying device that uses electricity to clear toxins from the environment. The ionizer releases negatively charged particles that attach to airborne impurities. The resultant fragments then absorb, harmlessly, into a neutral surface. While many air ionizer users report positive results, a few risks have been associated with using the device.While an ionizer may remove some pollutants from the air, those contaminants still remain in the room. Impurities, once attached to a negative particle, are absorbed into the wall, floor or any other grounded surface. Over time, ionizers can cause what is known as the "black wall effect," a darkening of the surrounding walls and furniture. There is also the concern that the joined particles may simply find a suitable surface on which to land within your own respiratory system, clinging to and building up on your air passage walls. Much of the existent dust and allergen content in the room before ionization remains present afterward.

Since an air ionizer discharges negatively charged particles, only positively charged contaminants will adhere to those emitted. holmes permanent tower air purifierIonizers have little to no ability to eliminate dust, pollen or smoke and other heavy gases from the air. car air purifier team bhpThey also will also not absorb odor, and buyers who wish to cleanse foul smells from the air may also need to purchase what is known as a charcoal absorber for that purpose.holmes air purifier website April 4, 2005 -- Some popular ionizing air cleaners could be hazardous to your health, especially if you have asthma or allergies, says a product testing group. An investigation by Consumers Union (CU) -- the products testing group that publishes Consumer Reports -- found that five of the best-selling models tested emitted relatively high levels of ozone.

Ozone exposure can aggravate allergies Ozone exposure can aggravate allergies and decrease lung function. It is a harmful gas resulting from car exhaust, gasoline vapors, and other pollutants. "It is both misleading and irresponsible for an organization like Consumer Reports to suggest that there is any potential harmful effect from a product that tens of thousands of people have purchased and are using every day without adverse consequences," Sharper Image spokesman and general counsel E. Bob Wallach tells WebMD. A recent study showed that short-term increases in ozone levels in the outside air contribute to thousands of deaths a year in the United States. In an October 2003 report, CU researchers concluded that ionizing purifiers do a much poorer job of cleaning the air of dust and smoke than their advertising suggests. The report led to a lawsuit against the consumer group by Sharper Image Corp., which makes the top-selling ionizing air purifiers -- the Ionic Breeze line.

The suit was dismissed in November of last year, and Sharper Image has since agreed to pay just over half a million dollars in court costs. While acknowledging that the new ozone tests did not show that the air cleaners pose a clear health hazard, Consumers Union vice president and spokesman Jeff Asher says they did suggest a potential risk. None of the ionizing air purifiers tested exceeded a generally accepted ozone safety level when the air was measured 3 feet away. "The bottom line is that these products don't work anyway, so why would anyone want to expose themselves to a level of ozone which, when added to the ozone that is already in the home, certainly isn't going to do them any good?" Wallach added that the Ionic Breeze model used in the latest test has been shown to comply with federal regulations for safe ozone emissions. A Sharp FU-888SV Plasmacluster air purifier. The same air purifier, cover removed. An air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air in a room.

These devices are commonly marketed as being beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics, and at reducing or eliminating second-hand tobacco smoke. The commercially graded air purifiers are manufactured as either small stand-alone units or larger units that can be affixed to an air handler unit (AHU) or to an HVAC unit found in the medical, industrial, and commercial industries. Air purifiers may also be used in industry to remove impurities such as CO2 from air before processing. Pressure swing adsorbers or other adsorption techniques are typically used for this. Dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and dust mite feces can act as allergens, triggering allergies in sensitive people. Smoke particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can pose a risk to health. Exposure to various components such as VOCs increases the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of sick building syndrome.[1] Air purifiers are becoming increasingly capable of capturing a greater number of bacterial, virus, and DNA damaging particulates.

Several different processes of varying effectiveness can be used to purify air. Other aspects of air cleaners are hazardous gaseous by-products, noise level, frequency of filter replacement, electrical consumption, and visual appeal. Ozone production is typical for air ionizing purifiers. Although high concentration of ozone is dangerous, most air ionizers produce low amounts (<0.05> ppm). The noise level of a purifier can be obtained through a customer service department and is usually reported in decibels (dB). The noise levels for most purifiers are low compared to many other home appliances.[] Frequency of filter replacement and electrical consumption are the major operation costs for any purifier. There are many types of filters; some can be cleaned by water, by hand or by vacuum cleaner, while others need to be replaced every few months or years. In the United States, some purifiers are certified as Energy Star and are energy efficient. HEPA technology is used in portable air purifiers as it removes common airborne allergens.

The US Department of Energy has requirements manufacturers must pass to meet HEPA requirements. The HEPA specification requires removal of at least 99.97% of 0.3 micrometers airborne pollutants. Products that claim to be "HEPA-type", "HEPA-like", or "99% HEPA" do not satisfy these requirements and may not have been tested in independent laboratories. Air purifiers may be rated on: CADR(Clean Air Delivery Rate); air changes per hour; the clean air delivery rate, which determines how well air has been purified; and the cost of the replacement filters. Two other important factors to consider are the length that the filters are expected to last (measured in months or years) and the noise produced (measured in decibels) by the various settings that the purifier runs on. This information is available from most manufacturers. As with other health-related appliances, there is controversy surrounding the claims of certain companies, especially involving ionic air purifiers. Many air purifiers generate some ozone, an energetic allotrope of three oxygen atoms, and in the presence of humidity, small amounts of NOx.

Because of the nature of the ionization process, ionic air purifiers tend to generate the most ozone.[] This is a serious concern, because ozone is a criteria air pollutant regulated by health-related US federal and state standards. In a controlled experiment, in many cases, ozone concentrations were well in excess of public and/or industrial safety levels established by US Environmental Protection Agency, particularly in poorly ventilated rooms. Ozone can damage the lungs, causing chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. It can also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections—even in healthy people. People who have asthma and allergy are most prone to the adverse effects of high levels of ozone.[17] For example, increasing ozone concentrations to unsafe levels can increase the risk of asthma attacks. Due to the below average performance and potential health risks, Consumer Reports has advised against using ozone producing air purifiers.

[18] IQAir, the educational partner of the American Lung Association, has been a leading industry voice against ozone-producing air cleaning technology. Ozone generators used for shock treatments (unoccupied rooms) which are needed by smoke, mold, and odor remediation contractors as well as crime scene cleanup companies to oxidize and permanently remove smoke, mold, and odor damage are considered a valuable and effective tool when used correctly for commercial and industrial purposes. However, there is a growing body of evidence that these machines can produce undesirable by-products. In September 2007, the California Air Resources Board announced a ban of indoor air cleaning devices which produce ozone above a legal limit. This law, which took effect in 2010, requires testing and certification of all types of indoor air cleaning devices to verify that they do not emit excessive ozone. ^ a b c ^ Photocatalysis: Considerations for IAQ-Sensitive Engineering Designs, David J Branson, P.E.., Engineered Systems, April 2006