Air Ionizers: Trapping Dust and Pollen With Electricity?

Answer 1

It’s well known that outdoor air is heavily polluted by daily activities such as automobiles and industry. It may be surprising to find out just how polluted the air inside homes, offices, and other buildings can be. Airborne particles such as dust, mold spores, animal dander, smoke and fumes from cooking are some examples of common indoor pollutants. Fortunately, there are several solutions to this problem. There is a variety of air purification technologies available including filters, electrostatic precipitators, and ionizers. Some air purifying units can be built into the ductwork of heating and ventilation systems. However, most people use stand alone air cleaners to purify a single room or small space.

Air ionizers are unique and innovative units that operate based on a basic scientific principle of electrostatics. Before you understand how they work, a brief lesson in science is needed. An ion is a charged particle that is considered to be either negative or positive. The laws of nature state that opposite charges attract.

An air ionizer unit simply releases negatively charged ions (particles) that attach themselves to positively charged particles floating in the air such as dust and pollen. The two particles fuse together and form one larger particle. There are two to trap this new particle. First of all, the new particle becomes too heavy and falls down to the floor, where it can be vacuumed later.

However, the most advanced air ionizers use charged plates to trap the new particle. Rather than falling down to the floor, the particle collects in a chamber, which can be easily taken out and cleaned. There are no filters involved in this type of air purifying system. In addition to low maintenance, air ionizers are known for quiet operation unlike fan driven air purifiers. Another advantage is that ionizers don’t produce harmful by-products such as those released by ozone generators (a type of purifying system.) In addition to trapping dust, the ionization process can even kill bacteria and viruses floating in the air.

Many air purifiers typically feature a combination of technologies for optimum performance. For example, you can find purifiers with HEPA filters, pre-filters, Ultraviolet radiation emitters, and ionizers. Combined together into one unit, they truly offer maximum purification. However, these types of air cleaning systems are much more expensive than a stand alone air ionizer.