As we know it
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that toxic chemicals found in the air of almost every American home are three times more likely to cause some type of cancer than outdoor air pollutants. Indoor air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter (both solid and liquid) provide risks to human health. Ironing out this risk requires proper ventilation and eliminating the source of these pollutants. But this might not always be achievable due to the climatic conditions or contaminated outdoor-atmosphere. In such conditions the artificial indoor air cleaning devices are of great help.
Need for change
With indoor air quality deteriorating due to enhanced outdoor pollution, air cleaning and purification systems are necessary and they have to be posted at strategic points in the house/office to sieve the pollutants out of the indoor atmosphere. These gadgets are also not earth-friendly, as they consume a lot of energy and some also produce harmful byproducts. Added to these are the other various issues of periodic replacement of filters, noise level and also hampering the visual appeal of the interiors. Worse still is the lack of assurance in the degree of purification accomplished by these products. The alarm is not baseless considering the harm and havoc these interior pollutants can cause to human health over time.
What’s Next?
1. GreenAir Natural Air Purifier:
What’s new:
There is strong evidence that chronic exposure to indoor air pollutants increases the risk of a range of respiratory illnesses, including acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. The GreenAir Natural Air Purifier is an innovative air purifier that freshens up the environment through natural vegetation.
What difference will it make:
Designed by Sherly Gunawan, a graduate in Product Design from LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore, GreenAir Natural Air Purifier portrays the idea of growing living plants indoor to effectively and naturally clean out the indoor air of any contaminants. GreenAir employs those plants, which absorb pollutants from the air through the leaves and roots. The combination of plant roots and activated carbon has through research validated the ability to remove great amount of indoor air toxins. GreenAir has a fan inside to pull the air to the root area, using solar panels as the energy source. So, larger amount of contaminants can be purified in a shorter time. It also has self-watering system, using nylon thread as the extension of the root. So, the plants can absorb water according to its requirements. The planter is made of biodegradable material, so that when the plant has grown up it can directly be transferred to the soil and will become nutrients for the plant.
Problems:
While using these modified alternatives a detailed analysis is to be made on not only the product’s compatibility with the surroundings but also being cost-effective, safe and easy to maintain to attain the desired air purification system for the whole family.
2. Paralda Air purifier:
What’s new:
In cooler atmospheric atmospheres there is an excessive buildup of toxic particles in the air inside the house. It is these toxic irritants which actually cause colds, coughs, and allergies mostly during the winter months. Moreover the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that Americans spend almost 90 percent of the time indoors during the winter months exposing themselves to a high level of home-grown pollution from dust, tobacco smoke and other toxic particles arising from the fuel used for cooking and heating. An air purifier sometimes can keep all these allergies away.
What difference will it make:
The Paralda air purifier is completely lead-free, ozone safe, and Energy Star qualified by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The four-speed air purifier not only flaunts a stylish design but it assures the demands of the eco-minded with an impressive HEPA filtration system, UV lamp that is claimed to have a life span of over 5 years, ionizer, light touch activation controls and a 24-hour programmable timer. With all those jam-packed features the purifier still manages to keep its power consumption below 55 watts, which is way less than an old 100W light bulb. The purifier comes at a reasonable price of $499.
Problems:
While the Paralda air purifier helps improve indoor air quality it still consumes 55W of grid electricity, which can be eliminated if you install a small solar panel on the roof of your house.
3. FLO2 Air Purifier:
What’s new:
The aggravating conditions of the environment has mostly been caused by the increased pressure of population and their exploitation of technology and harmful chemicals. All these factors have degenerated the quality of the air around us. Drawing inspiration from oxygen and the process of photosynthesis, designer Olivia Bradateanu has popped up with a stylish yet functional air purifier that lets you breathe fresh, at least when you enter your living or work space.
What difference will it make:
The device lets the user know the quality of the air he or she is breathing and also purifies it by simply trapping the particles. The user-friendly device can be carried along or be placed at a favorable place in your living room. Turning the device on requires the user to slide a button, which activates the device to purify the air around it.
Problems:
Careful considerations based on the economic viability of these products are essential as each of these variants have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is very important that it not only filters the irritants in the air but they must also cost-effective, safe and non-strenuous.
4. Aura Organic:
What’s new:
Conventional air filters do help in sieving out the pollutants and enhancing the air indoors, but in the process guzzle away a large chunk of energy to keep their fans and motors running. Aura Organic air purifier however runs without electricity. The system utilizes plants that purify air of toxins like volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide.
What difference will it make:
The system utilizes plants that purify air of toxins like volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide. Designed by Ben McGinley, the Aura Organic Air Filtration system is unconventional and highly efficient, as it ensures a healthy indoor air quality healthy, without using any electrical energy.
Problems:
The Aura Organic air filtering system requires sunlight for the plants to grow for which you’ll have to keep the air purifier in the open for a few hours each day.
5. Wearable Air Purifier:
What’s new:
Not only indoors while being outdoors too the requirement for clean fresh air to breathe remains as important as ever. Wearable Air Purifier has been devised keeping this in mind. Designed with Solid Platinum Emitter Electroplated Gold Grid with stainless steel collectors, Air Supply’s Wein AS150MM Wearable Air Purifier has the most advanced plasma discharge design. It has no adapter and has been authenticated and tested by several authoritative bodies. The unit is provided with a breakaway strap for user safety and propels clean ionized air to inhale in the breathing zone. It is a very effective gadget to use in densely populated zones like the cinema halls, airplanes, waiting rooms or any other confined areas. When there is air pollution the necklace produces a sound. Thus, it warns the user to close the front of the necklace to protect himself. The body-centric wearable device, while offering clean, breathable air to the user, reuses CO2 for energy generation.
This purifier has been designed by Martina Pagura and Pedro Nakazato Andrade worked with Daviid Gauthier, Di Mainstone and Priya Mani from the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. The project was developed as part of a two-week “Performative Design, Wearable Technology and Sustainability” workshop.
What difference will it make:
The Wearable Air Purifier is based on the natural process of air purification. The eco-friendly air purifier absorbs toxic gases to filter them through the leaves and roots of the plant within and puffs out fresh air.
Problems:
Before opting for any air purifier considerable speculation needs to be done on the aspects of rating them: area coverage; air changes per hour, which indicates how frequently the air purifier can exchange all the air in a given room; the clean air delivery rate, which determines how well air has been purified; energy usage; and the cost of the replacement filters.
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