In today’s complicated world, we face an almost constant onslaught of pollution – from the air we breathe, the water we drink, the homes we live in, and the vehicles we drive.
There are almost as many types of air pollution as there are potential solutions. No matter what type of air purification system you’re looking for, you should know that there is not one product on the market today that can solve every problem.
The best approach to figuring out what type of air purification solution is going to be best for you is to first understand the different types of pollution.
For example, these are the five major types of air pollution:
1. Odor Causing Pollution. The odor comes from many different places – food, animals, human bodies, cigarettes, cigars and pipe smoke, sports shoes, clothing, and equipment, etc.
Although not necessarily dangerous, if you’ve ever walked into your teenage son’s room after he’s come back from a football game and taken a deep breath – you know it can be very unpleasant!
Recommended Solution: Currently, the best solutions on the market for this type of pollution are odor sponges, ozone, and oxidation.
2. Particulate Causing Pollution. Particulates are those little floating things you see when the sun comes shining in through your windows and include dust, dust mites, dust mite feces, pet dander, skin flakes (what dust mites eat), pollen, smoke particles, and allergens.
Recommended Solution: Currently the best solutions on the market for this type of pollution are infiltration and negative ions.
3. Microbial Causing Pollution. Microbials are microscopic bacteria, fungi, mycotoxins created by a fungus, mildew, mold spores, and viruses. They can be as small as .001 microns. Microbials love to live in warm, damp places, or under your carpet, in your walls, and in heating and air conditioning ducts.
Recommended Solution: Currently the best solutions on the market for this type of pollution are those that produce oxidation, which kills microbes.
4. Chemical Fumes and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). This type of pollution comes from chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde, the chemical fumes that are constantly seeping from carpets, upholstery, furniture, draperies, household cleaning products, beauty products such as nail polish, removers, etc.
They also come from cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke, building construction, etc. Many of these chemicals have been identified as carcinogens.
Recommended Solution: Currently the best solution on the market for this type of pollution is products that produce catalytic oxidation.
5. Radon Gas Pollution: Radon is a completely odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas, and is the heaviest of all known gasses. It is caused by the radioactive breakdown of uranium inside the earth.
When radon is cooled below freezing, it turns a brilliant phosphorescent shade of yellow, which turns orange-red as it gets colder. Radon is also the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Smoking exacerbates the effects of radon. Radon is found all around us, in our homes, our yards, and the world around us.
Recommended Solution: The best solution to this form of pollution is to first of all test your home (a simple test is available at most hardware stores) and then to seal all cracks and openings in your home’s foundation.
If the problem merits it, you may need to have a certified contractor install a ventilation system inside your home.
With this basic understanding of pollution, you are now ready to make that all-important decision about which system is going to be best for you. The choice is yours!
