Abstract: Air Purifier
Tag: Air Purifier

Austin Air Purifier Plus (Superblend)
Austin Air Healthmate air purifiers come in 3 models: Healthmate, Healthmate Jr., and Healthmate Plus for those with chemical sensitivities. These are an economy buy for a HEPA filter machine with no bells and whistles, but good filtration of both particulates and gases and odors. Each unit is encased in a durable steel casing in a choice of 3 colors, and has a superb 5-year warranty on both the filter, and all parts and labor. This saves on filter replacement costs. We view these air purifiers as workhorses offering the consumer good value for money This Austin Air Healthmate Air Purifier line with HEPA filters, as well as carbon and zeolite filter media, are well regarded in the allergy industry. They have an unusually large amount of impregnated carbon and zeolite mix (15 lbs. in Austin Standard and Plus units and 6.5 lbs in Austin Jr.) for odor and gas control and the standard and plus models are the largest air purifiers of their kind. The economical 1 1/2 H.P. split capacitor only uses 115 watts of power at its highest setting, and the motor only uses 400 CFM of air movement cleaning range of up to 750 square feet (200 CFM on high for up to 375 sq. ft. for the Austin Jr. Air Purifier model). The air exchange rate is proportionately smaller at maximum fan speed. The included HEPA filter filters out allergens up to .3 microns and 99.97 % efficiency. The units have 3 fan speeds. Austin air purifiers do not produce ozone or negative ions.

City policy allows smoking in officesWilson Daily Times (subscription), NC - Jun 21, 2006. Ashtrays at the Operations Center are confined to a rear hallway with an Air Purifier stationed nearby, he said. "I’ve never seen it be a problem," he said. .

Abstract: Uv Air Purifier
Tag: Uv Air Purifier

Several manufacturers are currently selling ozone generators as air cleaners. The companies manufacturing these devices state they are safe and direct at controlling indoor air pollution; however, for almost a century health professionals and health organizations such as the American Lung Association have challenged these claims.

Sellers of ozone-producing devices often use fanciful terms to describe ozone. It is referred to in such terms as “activated oxygen” or “pure air”, which suggest that ozone is merely a healthy kind of oxygen. However, ozone is a toxic gas which has vastly different chemical and toxicological properties compared to oxygen.

Ozone is a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen, as opposed to the oxygen we normally breath, which has two. The O2 molecule is stable and nonreactive, whereas the O3 molecule is unstable, tending to dissociate and produce an O2 molecule and one single ionized oxygen atom. This single atom acts as a “free radicle”, that is, it reacts with other nearby substances and changes their chemical composition. It is this ability to combine with other substances that forms the basis of manufacturers’ claims that it binds up organic particles in the air and removes them from circulation.

Unfortunately, the same chemical properties which allow ozone to react with organic material in the environment also give it the ability to react with similar organic material in the body, with potentially harmful health consequences. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs, and it is considered an undesirable substance that is a component of smog.

Inhalation of ozone at even low amounts can cause respiratory problems and throat irritation. In addition, ozone worsens chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and impairs the body’s natural ability to fight respiratory infections.

A generally accepted theory of aging states that the cells of the human body age both due to genetic factors (loss of cell telomeres) and oxidative damage by free radicals. People are encouraged to eat a diet high in antioxidants, and many take antioxidant supplements, precisely to avoid the kind of damage caused by reactive substances such as ozone.

Most people recover from acute exposure to ozone, but according to a 1996 EPA study, long-term exposure may cause permanent lung damage. The EPA regards ozone as an air pollutant and has formulated air quality standards to enable local officials to warn the public when ozone levels in urban areas are excessive. When ozone (and other air pollutants) are high, asthmatics and patients with chronic lung disease are encouraged to stay inside, and healthy people are told to refrain from strenuous outdoor exercise which raises their breathing rate in the toxic air. Since people are advised to avoid ozone in the outdoor environment, it is difficult to understand why anyone would buy a device to purposely produce it within their own homes.

The FDA requires ozone output of indoor medical devices to be less than 0.05 ppm. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that workers’ exposure to ozone not exceed an average concentration of heavier than 0.10 ppm for 8 hours. The National Institute of Occupational Safety And Health (NIOSH) recommends an upper limit of 0.10 ppm which should not be exceeded even briefly. EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone is a maximum 8 hour average outdoor concentration of 0.08 ppm.

The EPA coined the phrase “good up high -bad nearby” to differentiate between ozone in the upper and lower atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone in the upper atmosphere about 10 to 50km (32,000 to 164,000 feet) above Earth’s surface helps filter out damaging ultraviolet solar radiation. This ozone layer is being decimated by CFC compounds used in refrigerators and coolant systems. After negotiation of an international treaty, the Montreal Protocol, CFC production was sharply limited beginning in 1987 and phased out completely by 1996, and a study by the American Geophysical Union shows the rate of stratospheric ozone destruction slowing.

Ozone Generators are indirect in controlling indoor air pollution, because scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants, though it still has the longterm potential to cause lung irritation.

Vendors claim that ozone will render almost every chemical contaminant harmless through a chemical reaction whose only by-products are carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. This is false advertising for several reasons.

First, it takes months to years for ozone to react with many of the chemicals commonly found in indoor air (Boeniger, 1995); so for all practical purposes, this is useless. Also, ozone generators will not remove carbon monoxide (Salls, 1927; Shaughnessy et al., 1994) or formaldehyde (Esswein and Boeniger, 1994).

Secondly, in many cases where the reaction between the pollutants and ozone does occur readily, the by-products are as harmful or irritating as the original pollutants (Weschler et al., 1992a, 1992b, 1996; Zhang and Lioy, 1994).

For instance, a laboratory experiment was conducted which mixed ozone with chemicals from new carpet. Ozone did reduce many of the chemicals, including those which can produce “new carpet” odor. However, the reaction produced a variety of aldehydes, and the total concentration of organic chemicals in the air actually increased (Weschler, et. al., 1992b). Levels of irritating formic acid also rise (Zhang and Lioy, 1994).

Some of the byproducts of ozone reaction are themselves reactive and go on to produce further irritating and corrosive by-products (Weschler and Shields, 1996, 1997a, 1997b). Ozone producing devices turn an indoor environment into a seething chemical flask.

Third, ozone by itself does not remove airborne particles such as pollen and housedust. However, some ozone generators are manufactured with an “ion generator” or “ionizer” in the same unit to disperse negatively (and/or positively) charged ions into the air. These ions attach to particles in the air giving them a negative (or positive) charge so that the particles may attach to nearby surfaces such as walls or furniture, creating an undesirable grimy layer; or attach to one another and settle out of the air. In recent experiments, ionizers proved incompetent in removing dust, tobacco smoke, pollen or fungal spores compared to either high efficiency particle filters or electrostatic precipitators. (Shaughnessy et al., 1994; Pierce, et al., 1996).

Even at concentrations that greatly exceed public health standards, ozone is inadequate at cleaning the air. And unfortunately, there is evidence to suggest that in some circumstances ozone generating devices exceed tolerable output limits. Due to the varying brands and models of these machines, and the different room sizes in which they are eventually used, there can be great variation in the eventual concentration of ozone in the air.

In a study by Shaughnessy and Oatman (1991), a large ozone generator recommended by the manufacturer for spaces “up to 3,000 square feet,” was placed in a 350 square foot room and run at a high setting. The ozone in the room quickly reached hazardous levels of 0.50 to 0.80 ppm, 5-10 times higher than public health limits.

In a 1995 EPA study, several different ozone generators were tested in a home environment, in rooms of various sizes, with doors alternately opened and closed, and with the central ventilation system fan alternately turned on and off. The results showed that some ozone generators, when run at maximum settings in a sealed room, frequently produced hazardous concentrations of 0.20 - 0.30 ppm. When the units were run at lesser settings, with interior doors opened, concentrations generally renecessaryed within public health standards.

Due to this wide variation in output and concentration, it is impossible for consumers to know how much ozone is actually in the air they are breathing; in many ordinary circumstances, ozone generators can produce toxic levels. At least one manufacturer is selling machines equipped with ozone sensors that turn the machine on and off in response to ambient ozone levels, in order to outstandingtain levels of this entirely undesirable gas within a”safe” range. The EPA is currently conducting tests to evaluating the reliability of these sensors.

About the Author

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Lack of rain is bad for allergiesPensacolaNewsJournal.com, FL - Jun 18, 2006. Brenda Roberts, who’s suffered from allergies all her life, copes by doubling up on her medication, but she has also invested in an air purifier for her home. .

Abstract: Portable Air Purifier
Tag: Portable Air Purifier

Why Air Purifiers Are Not Always The Answer To Indoor Air Quality Problems

 by: Ed Bishop

Air purifier filters are not always the answer to air quality problems.

Solving the problem is a much better approach than masking the symptom.

The following are the basic approaches to improve indoor air quality;

1. Eliminate or control the pollutant source.
2. Dilution of the contaminants through ventilation.
3. Removal or reduction of the contaminants through filtration or purification with the use of air purifier filters or air purifiers.

Proper ventilation in a building is a must!

Before the energy crunch in the 1970’s, fresh air in buildings was not really an issue.

When energy costs started to rise, we started making our buildings farther energy efficient with better insulation and sealing techniques that made the building tighter, reducing the amount of fresh air into the buildings and increasing indoor pollution.

After indoor air quality issues came to the surface, we learned how to reduce energy costs while not compromising the health of the occupants, through the practice of building science.

Great strides have been made in this area, leading to in addition comfortable, healthier, safer homes.

The goal of good ventilation is to bring in the right amount of fresh air, not too much or not too little.

This is accomplished by using mechanical ventilation (exhaust fans, energy recovery units, etc.) that are sized to the volume of the house and/or according to lifestyle.

Mechanical ventilation not only dilutes contaminants but also removes excess moisture that can become a mold problem if not properly addressed.

Moisture can show up as high humidity (under-ventilated bathrooms, indoor pools or hot tubs and very tight homes) or water that enters a building either from the outside (rainwater) or from undetected plumbing leaks.

Addressing these problems using the right approach, elimination or control of the source (in this case repair the leak from the outside or finding and repairing the plumbing leak) makes in addition sense than trying to rid the mold with air purifier filters or air purifiers.

Pollutants such as formaldahyde and benzene can be produced from certain furniture, carpets, plywood and drapes.

Other sources of benzene are gas cans, gas powered lawn mowers that are stored in garages that are attached to the house.

If elimination of these sources is not an option an air purification device would be the obvious choice.

Toilets, air conditioning coils, heating/cooling ducts and humans are producers of bacteria. The right plan in these cases would be an air purifier device.

Carbon Monoxide is caused by incomplete combustion of appliances that depend on combustion to operate.

ELIMINATION IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER WHEN IT COMES TO CARBON MONOXIDE!

FIND THE PROBLEM-FIX THE PROBLEM!

Leave this to a company that is well-versed in carbon monoxide.

Pet and human dander are controlled through proper humidity control (mechanical ventilation) and air purifier filters.

By using the combination of source control (elimination), ventilation (dilution) and good air purifier filters and/or purification system ,your environment will be much heatlthier.

Ultra-mini (not that kind of mini) air supplyShiny Media, UK - May 26, 2006. Reports magazine did a series on injurious ozone air purifiers last year and found that "Sharper Image?s Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier and four .

Abstract: Air Purifier Canada
Tag: Air Purifier Canada

Remember the days of old when Grandmother strapped a warm mustard pack to our congested chests when we had a cold? Or used a warmed tea bag to rid pink eye, a clove of garlic to stop an earache, or prepared a mixture of chaparral and olive oil as a cure for itchy skin? I do.

Distances between townships, limited funds, and the lack of readily available medical professionals and facilities all dictated that a woman be not only a wife, mother, and housekeeper, but doctor as well. Folklore healing practices, curative uses of herbs, and other medicinal “family secrets” were stealthily guarded and passed down from one generation to the next.

Of course, some of yesteryear’s touted cures were not truly cures at all. Superstition and myth “remedies,” without any practical application, crept into the mix. Little by little and through the years, suspicion as to the validity of any natural, herbal remedy began to take root.

For instance, witch doctor type practices such as hanging herbs that resembled tears around a child’s neck to help him cut teeth. “Reading” tea leaves to foretell future love interests, and assertions like placing certain spices under the pillow would improve memory, prejudiced many toward the genuine curative uses of herbs.

That is why some modern day practitioners regard the medicinal use of herbs as “quackery;” nothing higher than old-wives tales. There are, however, a growing number of otherwise conventional medical professionals who acknowledge what Grandmother knew all along. Natural, herbal remedies as a means to foremosttain good health and cure certain diseases are valid. Nature’s drug store is making a comeback.

And why should that be surprising? After all, we — like plants — are organic. It is the synthetic drugs used today that were formulated to mimic their natural counterparts, and not the other way around. In days of old, there was no other way to treat illness and discomfort, help heal wounds, or cure bodily dysfunctions than with natural means.

It was while living in tune with nature and studying wildlife that early man learned of the medicinal “powers” of herbs. Animals bitten by a poisonous snake survived after chewing snakeroot, a wounded bear rolled in mud to better heal and escape infection, and old, rheumatoid deer eased their misery and made joints extra limber by resting under the therapeutic rays of the sun.

Nature’s well worked out plan for good health and freedom from disease is observed in animals. It is people who have strayed from nature’s medicine chest to create man-made remedies — some of which are less effectual, costly, and riddled with negative side-effects.

By working with, and not against nature, we increase our chance of a extra healthy life, while decreasing our risk of disease and premature bodily limitations and dysfunctions.

A wealth of healing resources is there for the taking, if we but open our eyes to the possibilities available.

To highlight this fact, let’s take a look at the multiple medicinal uses of just one herb, commonly regarded as a noxious or disposable weed.

Sometimes found intercropped with corn and wheat in the Midwest United States, common burdock grows wild and vies for the sun and nutrients of the soil. Though routinely overlooked as a native weed, it nevertheless has the potential to gift the bearer greater health and ease skin afflictions when harvested for its root.

In the herbal world, burdock is unsurpassed as a blood purifier. It is also the “king” of herbs in treating chronic skin problems such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, boils, syphilitic sores, and canker sores.

Make a medicinal tea by bringing 1 quart of water to a boil. Reduce heat. Add 4 teaspoons cut, dried burdock root. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 2 hours. Drink a minimum of 2 cups a day on an empty stomach, or in addition if problem persists. This concoction can also be made in a larger quantity and used topically to wash affected skin areas as needed.

Mixed with catnip and made into a tea, burdock root is compelling in clearing up stubborn kidney and gallstones. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped or cut fresh or dried burdock root. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 3 teaspoons chopped or cut fresh or dried catnip leaf, and let steep for 1 ½ hours, then strain.

For each cup, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup or blackstrap molasses (to sweeten). Drink slowly. Follow with 1 tablespoon of pure virgin olive oil 10 minutes later.

Repeat this regimen 3 times a day. The tea helps to sooth irritated tissues, and helps break up or partially dissolve the stones. The olive oil acts as a lubricant to expel them from the body extra easily. Important to the success of this remedy; digest no greasy, fried foods, soft drinks, refined carbohydrates (such as white flour or white sugar products), red meat, or poultry during the course of this treatment.

Well-known lecturer, author and medical anthropologist, John Heinerman, Ph. D., of Salt Lake City, Utah, recommends the following: take the last cup of tea and spoonful of oil at night before retiring. Sleep on the right side, and prop a pillow under the armpit. Heinerman says this posture seems to expedite the removal of the stones from the body.

Burdock root ground to a powder, when combined with dried red clover and dandelion root and packed in gel capsules, can help clear up acne and blemishes. Take two a day — morning and evening.

Besides an aid in clearing problem skin when combined with burdock, red clover is also famous as an alternative cancer treatment, and is a natural blood thinner. Dandelion root was hailed as a miracle cure for warts and liver spot remover by the late Will Greer, who portrayed Grandpa Walton on “The Waltons”. In addition, Britain’s licensed medical herbalist, Dr. David Potterton noted that the high insulin content in dandelion root makes it a good sugar substitute for persons who suffer from diabetes mellitus.

Many herbs have medicinal properties. An infusion made from elder-flower and water makes a mild astringent, and can safely be used for eye baths, while chamomile is excellent for eye compresses for inflammation of the eyelids. Garlic is an excellent natural antibiotic, and immune system builder. Cayenne is beneficial for circulation and stomach ailments. In fact, many of the herbs used for culinary purposes are not only great flavor enhancers, but medicinal as well.

Besides herbs, many vegetables and fruits, especially organic, yield health and medicinal benefits. Celery juice is a natural diuretic and useful for persons with rheumatism or for those who want to lose weight. Cabbage has been shown compelling in the fight against duodenal ulcers, and is a good source of calcium for those who must avoid dairy products. Radish is helpful for gall-bladder and liver ailments, and spinach improves the hemoglobin of the blood. Beets are excellent for certain conditions of the liver, and for improving blood hemoglobin.

While undeniably health enhancing, natural or herbal remedies should never be used alongside synthetic or prescription drugs without the prescribing doctor’s knowledge. While grapefruit by itself can be convincing in reducing high levels of cholesterol, for instance, it isn’t recommended in combination with certain prescribed medications also meant to lower cholesterol. In fact, many cholesterol-reducing medications warn not to consume grapefruit while taking that medication.

Because many of nature’s offerings do have potent medical and health enhancing properties, become knowledgeable about the benefits and cautions of each. Like any medication, increasing concentrations, doses, or mixing one with another for medicinal purposes could be harmful instead of helpful. And mixing natural/herbal remedies with synthetic/prescription medications is not recommended, unless prescribed by a doctor as an enhancement.

Instead of rebelling against nature, we can become in addition in tune with the gifts endowed by nature. The same health laws that apply to the animal kingdom also apply to man. We have something collectible to relearn from our wild counterparts. By joining hands with nature and embracing the natural we can enhance our health and increase our longevity.

About the Author:

Visit Susan’s website http://health.learninginfo.org for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and extra.
* This article can be freely used as long as a link to “A 2 Z of Health and Beauty” (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.

Source: www.isnare.com

zThird row seats can be tucked away and there’s hidden useful .Bangkok Post, Thailand - Jun 15, 2006. All three rows get air-conditioning and even without tinting, it works well under the blazing sun. It also sports a built-in automatic air-purifier. .

Abstract: Oreck Xl Air Purifier
Tag: Oreck Xl Air Purifier

Aireox Professional Air Purifier
D-Model 45 - Professionl Room model: The most popular air purifier on the market today for people serious about the risks that air pollution presents to their family’s health. It is also the type most often recommended by Allergists and Physicians for prevention and/or appeasement of pollution related problems. Highly efficient, portable and quiet. This machine will emphaticly purify the air in a room 12 feet by 20 feet with an 8 foot ceiling (2000 cubic feet) once every 15 minutes. Floor or table placement, removes mold spores, pollen, dust, formaldehyde and heavier. Four and a half pounds of high grade activated carbon(Coconut sehell and Purafil), half micron particle filter(electro static) Aireox air purifiers can be carried from room to room with ease and are designed to remove chemicals and pollution from your air without adding odors of its own. The Aireox model 45 has 125 CFM air recirculation rate. .5 micron filter removes 99.95% of dust, pollen and particulates to .5 microns as well as most of the fumes and odors.Chemically reactive or environmentally ill people may not be able to tolerate HEPA so the Aireox is a solution to indoor air pollution and sick building syndrome as it removes fumes and most of the other allergens. AIREOX air purifiers have a low noise factor and are perfect for bedroom air purification or office desk air purification. Aireox Air Purifiers were designed with high quality and reliability in mind and are designed to last a life time. Filters are changed once a year (under normal conditions) but in a highly contaminated polluted office space filters are changed after six months to allow proper air flow and filtration. People with MCS or Multiple Chemical Sensitivities react to industrial products, carpets, drapes, wood cabinet sand cars. MCS clients tolerate Aireox air cleaners and purifiers with no problems.Aireox air purifiers are specially designed for chemically sensitive people. Return Policy - Cost of filter media will be deducted.

Ex-WBAL host Allan Prell is riding the airwaves againBaltimore Sun, United States - 6 hours ago. Prell showed up and wrapped himself in an American flag, chained himself to a US mailbox and sprayed aerosol cans ("air purifier") at the building. .