The world as we know it is rife with dangers lurking around every corner. Well, at least some health hazards have the decency to lurk. Others are more obvious – guns are readily available for purchase, cars are steel deathtraps on wheels, and cats are some of the most malicious creatures to ever stalk this earth. (We have all fallen victim to a near-fatal feline assault at some point or another).
Most of the dangers that we encounter can – at the very least – be seen from a mile away, and as such, we are given the means to take the necessary precautions against them. Cars have seat belts and guns have safety switches. Unfortunately, short of wiping them all out, cats will forever be a dangerous force to be reckoned with.
But what about the dangers that we cannot see? What about the ones that fly completely under the radar as we wage our war on feline supremacy? These are the sorts of things that pose a real threat to our health, which the world is only just beginning to accept. The air itself can prove deadly if left unchecked. So, why take the risk?
In this article, we are going to cover one of the best solutions to the problem of pollutants and micro bacteria in the air: HEPA air purifiers. Let’s dive in and discover what makes up a HEPA air purifier and how to best use one.
HEPA Air Purifiers
HEPA air purifiers are high-efficiency particulate air filters. In short, they make the air cleaner and safer for human habitation. This is important because even the air in the average household is bound to pick up a few pollutants along the way, which can prove hazardous to the health of household members, particularly those with conditions such as asthma and various allergies.
The term HEPA was commercialized in the 1950s and subsequently trademarked for a specific brand of air filters. Nowadays, however, the term is more generic and refers to a wide range of air filters with varying degrees of efficacy.
In order for a HEPA purifier to be qualified for production and distribution, it needs to meet certain standards of efficiency. After all, there is no use in buying an air filtration product that does not actually filter the air. HEPA filters must be able to remove at least 99.95% of particles with a diameter equal to 0.3 micrometers. This includes, but is not limited to moisture, pollen, dirt, dust, bacteria, viruses, liquid aerosol, along with plenty more microorganisms that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
The importance of HEPAs in our daily lives cannot be overstated enough, and while you may not have realized their presence, you most definitely have encountered them in some way or another. HEPA air filters are present in hospitals, homes, vehicles, and even hard disk drives.
How Do HEPA Air Purifiers Work?
As you can imagine, plenty of work goes into making sure that the air in your home – or hospital, workplace, or car – is the freshest and cleanest that it can be. While the technology is not exactly exciting or groundbreaking, it is effective.
HEPAs remove particulates in the air through the use of filter mats which are placed inside of the purifier. These mats have a fairly random composition, specifically, their fibers adhere to no particular pattern or order which actually makes them more effective at trapping particulates.
The entire air filtration process that a HEPA utilizes can be broken down into three distinct parts, which are as follows:
- Impaction – whereby particulates stick to any fibers that are close by
- Interception – whereby larger particles directly collide with the fibers and become trapped
- Diffusion – whereby the smallest particles come into contact with gas molecules, thus impeding their way through the system
Obviously, these stages of HEPA air filtration have been simplified, but in order for them to be truly useful to the average user or homeowner, all the air needs to be directed through them for the best results.
Do HEPA Air Purifiers Reduce Health Risks?
The short answer is: yes, air purifiers can help reduce health risks, to an extent. Obviously, there is no way to guarantee that the air in any environment is absolutely sterile (unless you work in a hospital). The average household is particularly notorious for attracting all sorts of pollutants such as dust and pollen, and would certainly benefit, at least somewhat, from an air purifier.
The only problem is that pollutants such as these do not circulate in the air for too long. They generally affix themselves to the surfaces they come into contact with, and thus cannot be removed by an air purifier alone. In order for HEPAs to be truly effective, therefore, you may still need to break your back a bit by regularly cleaning your household, thus raising these pollutants back into the air for your air purifier to catch them.
Despite this, air purifiers are still effective at eliminating airborne contaminants such as cigarette smoke, which, as everybody knows, can be very dangerous to have floating around in the air, particularly in a confined space.
The choice as to whether or not your home absolutely requires an air filter is completely up to you. If one or more of your household members suffers from severe asthma or allergies, a HEPA air purifier may be a safe investment. However, if you live alone and clean regularly, there is a good chance that a HEPA may be superfluous, at least unless you are a heavy smoker.
Conclusion
We hope that we have shed some light on HEPA air purifiers, as well as the many dangers that the average household faces. There is a whole world full of hazards out there, and plenty of smart technology to combat them just waiting to be discovered.