Dirty air causes death, but it doesn't mean 'use an air purifier', why?
'Dirty air' kills 7 million people a year. Many of them are cases in developing countries where there are many opportunities to use solid fuel in places with poor ventilation, but in the UK, 26,000 to 38,000 people die annually. Due to the global pandemic of the new coronavirus, the demand for air purifiers is increasing, but it is pointed out that it is not always good.
Air purifiers: indoor pollution kills but many devices are ineffective and some may even cause harm
Air purifiers include the orthodox one that adsorbs dirt to the filter, and the one that collects dirt by charging it. Both are expected to remove indoor air pollutants, but rather, there is a case where ozone, a hazardous substance, is generated and discharged into the room when charging dirt, according to the British Government's Emergency Scientific Advisory Group. (SAGE) pointed out.
EMG: Potential application of air cleaning devices and personal decontamination to manage transmission of COVID-19, 4 November 2020 - GOV.UK
SAGE also notes that filter-based air purifiers are 'beneficial if used correctly', but 'provides limited effectiveness and no particular risk in well-ventilated spaces'. There is no limit,” he concludes.
Professor Nicola Carslow of the University of York has argued that there is no regulation in the UK on the problem of air purifiers and there are only figures claimed by manufacturers.
In addition, he points out that the tests conducted by manufacturers are only under good conditions such as laboratories, and the secondary pollutant problem is ignored, and the responsibility that consumers are borne is too great.
Carslow says that to make air purifiers more user-friendly, an independent body is needed to test them to show their safety and effectiveness, and that testing should be done indoors to more closely simulate real-world use. Suggestions to administration. He also said that it should be investigated whether the air purifier is still effective even if it gets old.
On the other hand, it is also necessary to provide manufacturers with clear and concise advice on how to operate and maintain their products, and they are requested to provide a checklist of operation details so that consumers can easily compare multiple models. rice field.
Professor Carslow says that ``natural ventilation is sufficient for most homes,'' and that it is necessary to first determine whether an air purifier is needed. One easy way to tell is to use a carbon dioxide monitor, if the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is above 1500ppm, ventilation is inadequate and an air purifier is an option.
But air purifiers are only a temporary solution, and the best solution for most buildings is to remove pollutants coming in from outside and to have openings for good ventilation. said.
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