The environmental pollution is on the rise and the fact is that indoor air in our homes and offices is more polluted than that outside. The Environmental Protection Agency has, in fact, said that the level of indoor pollutants is often two to five times more than that present in outdoor air.
The indoor pollutants range from physical to chemical and biological and they work as silent killers for those who reside in this polluted environment. It’s important to have good ventilation so that indoor pollutants get diluted. Generally, a person spends 90% of his or her time in confined environments, be it home, office, school or car. Thus, if the air quality in this close environment is not good, then it is sure to have an adverse impact on a person’s health.
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Major Indoor Pollutants
Indoor pollution is mostly caused by:
- Combustion sources like coal, wood, oil, gas and kerosene
- Tobacco products
- Chemicals released from paints and furniture made of specific pressed wood
- Pets
- Pesticides, room fresheners and personal care products like body sprays
- Damp areas
- Outdoor air bringing in outdoor pollutants along with it
As there are too many pollutant sources indoors and we spend a lot of time inside, it is important to purify this air using an air purifier for home and offices. Air purifier for cars is also available. With the rising pollution levels, air purifier in India is fast becoming a mandatory appliance.
How Does an Air Purifier Help?
It is not that air purifier is some sort of pill, which once used will provide immediate relief or healing effect. It is an appliance that works on a filtration mechanism and traps and removes the pollutants present in the air to make the air clean and breathable. The air purifier in India is available in various brands and models. You should always buy a powerful one from a reputed and reliable brand having an inbuilt ionizer and HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. A HEPA filter is recommended as it can trap all particles up to the size of 0.3 µm and all major indoor pollutants fall under this size range.
How Does an Air Purifier Work?
An advanced air purifier for home or car comes with 3 stage air filtration mechanism and gets rid of all types of indoor pollutants like dust mites, pet dander, mould spores, pollens and tobacco smoke. The three stages are Impact, Interception and Diffusion. The in-built ionizer helps in getting rid of various odours circulating in the indoor air due to cooking, smoking, pets and damp environment. The ionizer releases negative ions, which help in absorbing these odours and make the indoor air fresh and odourless to breathe.
Though you can’t do much to combat outdoor pollution, you can take steps to improve indoor air quality and breathe in clean air. Earlier thought to be a luxury appliance, an air purifier is now a necessary appliance in every home due to the rising air pollution in the country.