Fighting the toxins within your home

The right purifier ensures that the air you breathe is healthy, says Dr Abhay Kumar

The war for clean air has already started heating up all over the country. The air quality in the National Capital and adjoining cities in India is consistently deteriorating over the recent past, leading to a sharp spike in the number of patients suffering from respiratory problems. The ones who suffer the most are the senior citizens, children, asthma patients and our beloved pets.

Though people are now recognising that both outdoor and indoor air pollution is hazardous to the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of any person, one of the pertinent issues prevailing in the country is the lack of awareness among people about the availability of right air purification technology.

Air purifiers have become a need to survive the toxic days and hence lead a healthy lifestyle. Also, since the market is flooded with a variety of air purifiers, it has become equally important to select the right one that ensures that the air you breathe is healthy and safe. Below is the list of things that you can examine and keep in mind while choosing an air purifier for your homes:

Emphasise on the filters: Check the specification of the air purifier to see whether it has a Swiss HEPATM (high efficiency particulate air) filter that is highly efficient and capable of removing up to 99.97 per cent of micro particles. There are many products in the market which say HEPA-like filters, avoid buying those.

Size of the room: There is no one-size-fits-all technology. Note the size of the room in which you wish to install the air purifier. There are different air purifiers with different sizes available in the market for different room sizes.

Certified for the highest standards of air quality: Choose products that are certified by the world renowned German ‘gui-Lab’ and are powered by Activeshield x 2 Filtration System with ultra-precision purification that has double the efficiency of purifiers in its class to eliminate sub-micron respirable particles and infection-carrying microbes in the air.

Check for pre-filter: Indian conditions are such that the air has heavy particulate matter, hence the air purifier needs to have a pre-filter that removes the large particles, such as dust, hair, pet dander and fibers.

Active carbon filter: The granular activated carbon binds gases and odour of natural and chemical origin. This filtration stage is effective in reducing tobacco smoke and cooking smells and removing VOC’s (Volatile Organic Chemicals).

Avoid buying ozone emitting devices: Stay away from any technology in a purifier that emits ozone. According to EPA, (US Environmental Protection Agency), even relatively low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. It states that ozone air purifiers can be hazardous to health.

From children to aged people, everyone is entitled to breathe healthy air. A few other quick tips to make healthy choices:

• The first step is to install an air pollution indicator app on your phone. This will help you stay cautious whenever the pollution level is high indoors as well as outdoors.
• Dust is the leading source of air pollution as it absorbs toxic gases. Clean and vacuum your home regularly to capture most of the dust that has settled in.
• Opt for an eco-friendly steam cleaner fortified with a chemical-free cleaning process that eliminates viruses and bacteria completely, helping you keep your home sparkling clean and healthy.
• Lastly, avoid using scented candles at home as they can trigger allergy symptoms and aggravate existing allergies.

The writer is Chief Scientific Officer, Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment