Why is polluted air harmful?
The influence of air pollution is being talked about more and more frequently. Popularity of Home Air Purifier is proof of this. In many places, smog is a major problem. Exceeding air quality standards is a signal that there may be a real threat to our health and life. Dangerous particles that are invisible to the naked eye and floating in the air are very harmful and bring negative consequences for our organisms. Unfortunately, toxic substances also find their way into our homes, apartments, and offices in a variety of ways. Every year, experts sound the alarm and keep emphasizing that constant breathing of polluted air is really bad for your health.
- Protection against viruses and bacteria
There is no complete protection against viruses and bacteria. However, you can reduce the number of pathogens in our environment – by using air purifiers. Devices equipped with a high molecular weight HEPA filter can capture up to 99.99% of all pathogenic particles. This means that for every 10,000 pathogenic particles, the filter only lets one through to the other side.
Because air pollution has an enormous impact on our respiratory system, American researchers have investigated the connection between breathing polluted air and the consequences of infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19. The scientists’analyzes show that the virus, which leaves disastrous consequences in our lungs, can increase the likelihood of death in people suffering from comorbidities. These, on the other hand, occur in people in regions with a higher PM2.5 concentrationmore frequently. So, in the most polluted countries in the world, where levels of these particles are at very high levels, mortality from COVID-19 can be higher than in countries where there is no air pollution. Scientists believe that the risk of an acute course of this disease, even death, is significantly higher with prolonged exposure to smog.
The latest coronavirus reaches a size of 0.06 to 0.14 µm, so it is significantly larger than the tiniest particles that quality filters in the latest air purifiers can effectively capture. As we mentioned earlier, the most advanced coatings that trap air pollution can stop harmful particles as small as 0.03 µm. In theory, they should also be able to cope with the pathogenic particles that cause COVID-19 without any problems.
Already filters of class EPA 12, but of course also HEPA filters of the higher classes H13 and H14, offer effective protection against air pollution, including bacteria and viruses. Is it necessary to look for air purifiers that offer the highest filter class? No, because the difference in effectiveness is minimal. The structure of filters in the lower category E12, on the other hand, is less dense, which automatically means that the air resistance is lower. And that means that with a lower filter class, a higher CADR value can be achieved – so air pollution is removed from the air faster. Highly efficient filters can be used successfully in rooms with high hygienic requirementsare used, i.e. in places related to professional practice, in day-care centres, kindergartens and other playrooms for children, medical practices, beauty salons, waiting rooms in medical facilities, but also in banks and shops.
- The correct development in children
Children in particular are at high risk of having a negative impact from polluted air. Their immune systems are not fully developed and they are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of particles that can lead to infection, inflammation and disease. Polluted air affects not only the physical but also the mental development of children. Studies by the Institute of Developmental and Health Psychology – Institute of Applied Psychology at Jagiellonian University have shown that there is a direct correlation between the concentration of PM10 particulate matter and the tendency to develop motor, memory and manipulation disorders in children consists. In addition, it has been confirmed that in areas where air quality standards are exceeded for a long period of time and the associated lead, nitrogen, and benzene particles occur, the neurodynamics of children can be significantly disturbed. Air pollution that occurs in our environment is most dangerous, especially in the prenatal period and early childhood.
If you want to offer your children the best conditions for undisturbed development, you should ensure that there is an air purifier for home. Devices, the effectiveness of which is excellent, can stop not only the aforementioned harmful substances but also the youngest among us from the negative impact of allergenic particles or tobacco smoke (which can also get into the children’s room through third parties – if, for example, a neighbour on his balcony smokes a cigarette) – can protect.
Air purifiers with HEPA filters of a high class and carbon filters are recommended for children, which will not only eliminate unwanted substances but also neutralize unpleasant odours. If you buy a device for the children’s room, you should take a closer look at the additional functions. An air purifier with a humidification function ensures a peaceful sleep with properly humidified air, and the best conditions for learning and playing create safe ionization methods, which are used in Sharp ( Plasmacluster technology) and Panasonic ( Nanoe technology), among others come.
