Ionic Air Cleaner Problems

Unhealthy

• One of the biggest problems with ionic air purifiers is that they can damage the health of users. A main byproduct of ionic air cleaners is ozone, which can be extremely harmful if breathed in too concentrated amounts. Ozone can coat lungs, preventing oxygen from reaching the bloodstream. Too much ozone can be dangerous to anyone, but it is especially dangerous to people who have severe allergies and asthma--the very people most likely to use an ionic air cleaner. Ionic air cleaners also do not eliminate many of the air contaminants outside of their immediate vicinity. This was proven by the Consumers Union in 2003.

Ineffective

• Perhaps the biggest problem with ionic air cleaners is the fact that they are not effective. According to the same study done by the Consumers Union, ionic air purifiers do not remove smoke, dust and other pollutants very well at all. Once the ions located in the cleaners attract a thin layer of dust, they stop attracting new dust because they are no longer charged to accept new molecules. Even with fan circulation, the cleaners are not able to purify the air that is outside of their immediate range. This means that to filter the air effectively, several purifiers would have to be in each room. That would cause the levels of ozone to be high enough in the room to cause serious lung damage to the individuals living in the home.

Energy Sapping

• Ionic air cleaners also require a lot of energy because they always operate. Running a vacuum cleaner constantly would require about the same amount of energy that is used by ionic air cleaners. The air cleaners also have to be cleaned on a regular basis, which requires personal energy as well as electrical energy. Ionic cleaners have to be cleaned every two to three days to work at all.