Air Purifiers

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Posted by Renaudlifestyle (426 days ago)

Since exposure to the risks of exposure to VOC's is not well known we thought it would be appropriate to add additional information about this topic. Sorry its a little long but worth the read!

Organic Gases (Volatile Organic Compounds - VOCs)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids inside your home. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.

EPA's Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. Additional TEAM studies indicate that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.

Health Effects

Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.

The ability of organic chemicals to cause health effects varies greatly from those that are highly toxic, to those with no known health effect. As with other pollutants, the extent and nature of the health effect will depend on many factors including level of exposure and length of time exposed. Eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment are among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur from the levels of organics usually found in homes. Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.

Posted by Renaudlifestyle (61 days ago)

I think most people need to realize that a good air purifier not only has HEPA but other technologies to remove various pollutants. What really sets Alen apart is we offer a multi-filtration technology I think this will answer most of your questions.

The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department states that the most of the pollutants are 10 microns or smaller = 10 microns. Not 0.0000xxx. Also note that even in other air purifiers its not the HEPA filter that removes gases from our home but the other little known technologies that are incorporated in to a high performance air purifier like IQ or Alen and this is why different models / options are offered.

http://www.epd-asg.gov.hk/english/backgd/rsp.php

Alen filtration technologies can be turned on or off depending on what you're trying to achieve.

1ST TECHNOLOGY

Photo-Catalytic Oxidation

Our A375UV is best in class and only air purifier out there that can permanently remove a wide range of gases, volatile organic compounds, smoke, ammonia, etc.. Other gas air purifiers typically use carbon, which can be a problem because carbon stores gases which can be released at a later whereas our solution permanently eliminates the gas/odor on contact. Exclusive targeted technology was developed to address specific indoor air pollutants by PhD chemists and patented.

The A375UV includes UV-PCO(UV Photo Catalytic Oxidation) technology to reduce the levels of VOC's. The interaction of UV-C light and a permanent titanium dioxide (TiO2) grid serves as a photocatalyst to carry out hydrolysis (ie.to break water into hydrogen and oxygen). As TiO2 is exposed to UV light, it becomes increasingly hydrophilic; thus, it can be used reduce concentrations of airborne pollutants such as volatile organic compounds into harmless elements. Ya, we pack a lot of technology into our little air purifiers! As a safety feature, the UV-C lights and titanium dioxide grid are located on the inner most section of the A375UV.

SECOND TECHNOLOGY

UV Light (ultraviolet)

Our UV air purifiers have been tested to eliminate over 96%,

Ultraviolet light kills microorganisms by damaging the DNA. UV radiation disrupts the chemical bonds that hold the atoms of DNA together in the microorganism. If enough of these defects accumulate on a microorganism's DNA its replication is inhibited, thereby rendering it harmless. If the damage is severe enough, the bacteria cannot repair the damage and will die.

Bacteria are single cell microorganisms that exist everywhere. They are often 0.2 to 5 microns in diameter and most do not create an issue for people. But the ones that can present problems are pretty bad problems:

* Staphylococcus aureus are bacteria known to cause "staph" infections.
* Klebsiella pneumonia is a bacteria that can cause pneumonia.
* E Coli is a bacteria that is often associated with food poisoning but it also exists in the air and can affect the respiratory system.

3RD TECHNOLOGY

NEW Silver Ion HEPA Filtration (Silver has been around for thousands of year and hopefully one of the answers to reduce swine flu)

The new Silver Ion HEPA filter eliminates up to 99% of bacteria, up to 50% of viruses that cause influenza and 99% of airborne allergens. The Silver Ion HEPA filter is coated with Silver Ion, which is antimicrobial. This keeps germs from developing inside the unit and prevents bacteria from being blown into the air. Silver Ion coatings greatly reduce the presence of fungi and bacteria within five minutes of operation. Through a process of denaturation and oxidation, the structure of the enzyme that produces oxygen gets detached and silver ion particles produce reactive oxygen in the air which works to destroy over 650 types of bacteria. Toxic to viruses and bacteria, silver ion is harmless to humans.

4TH TECHNOLOGY

True Hepa

This is the same filter technology as recommended by the US Department of Homeland Security to remove harmful airborne particles in a terrorist threat. Tested at over 1,000% better than the leading ionic air purifier and up to 50% better than leading HEPA type air purifiers by the world's leading independent test.

We have more developments on the way but this should do for now. Thanks for you're question.

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