Air purifiers are great until you see their harmful impacts on you and the environment.
The negative side effects of air purifiers can downgrade your health and create new diseases. These impacts mainly include breathing problems, asthma, lung disease, and headaches.
Phys.org says that: the health impacts of air ionizers are still unknown. But, other types of air purifiers are well-researched and found harmful in many aspects.
It’s risky for humans and the environment as its many parts aren’t recyclable. All the side effects depicted here match the caspr air purifier side effects and levoit air purifier side effects.
How Can Air Purifiers Be Harmful And Aggravate Health Conditions?
Air purifiers without a HEPA filter emit ozone, though it’s very little in amount. People with asthma or lung problems can barely inhale excessive amounts of ozone.
An observation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency says that: ozone, a powerful oxidant, causes health effects like coughing, shortness of breath, dry throat, and others.
According to Mayo Clinic, air purifiers with low-grade filtering technology can enhance the risk of respiratory infections. All those above chronic respiratory conditions arise due to an air purifier emitting charged particles into the air. And the particles come with the byproduct of ozone.
11 Negative Side Effects Of Air Purifiers
Air purifiers come with some demerits that can discourage you from purchasing them. Here are the top 11 negative side effects of air purifiers.
Risky for environment
Most air purifiers generate ozone as a byproduct of their operation. California air resources board found that ozone-generating air purifiers produce indoor ozone levels several times higher than the standard level. The increase could be 90 parts per billion (ppb) and 70 ppb, respectively.
Filters get disabled quickly.
Air purifiers won’t run in the long run if you don’t do their regular maintenance. US air purifiers say that the first and foremost air purifier maintenance is replacing its filter from time to time.
Replaceable HEPA filters require replacing every 6-12 months. When the filter isn’t acceptable, the whole air purifier is meaningless.
Create air pollution
Ozone reacts with various pollutants existing in the air, making the air toxic. According to CA.gov, formaldehyde and ultrafine particles are produced by ozone after reactions.
Gather germs
National institute of health claimed that its filter captures most airborne bacteria in an indoor setting. Air purifiers work on the principle of reverse fan operation.
They pull pollutants from the air into a filter and concentrate germs in an area. The area near the air purifier becomes much riskier after a specific time.
Cause tobacco smoke hazards
Air purifiers from a reputed brand even can’t dispose of foul odor immediately. It’s useless for removing disturbing odors like smoking odor instantly.
Tobacco smoke is made up of gaseous pollutants, which is out of the syllabus for an air purifier. (Source: Mayo Clinic) Tobacco smoke comes with the side effects of cancer, lung disease, asthma, and many more diseases.
Increase respiratory problems
An air purifier can make you dizzy and creates headaches and respiratory problems. Cleveand Clinic claims air purifiers can worsen respiratory symptoms such as difficulty breathing, cough, and upper airway congestion.
Can’t resist all pollutants
An air purifier with a HEPA filter can’t show versatile performance in capturing pollutants. An official website of the US government depicts that: airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm) are on the hunt for HEPA filters.
Airborne particles below this size are barely captured by this filter. As a result, it brings adverse side effects like severe respiratory issues.
Not environment friendly
Air purifiers with HEPA filters are made of fiberglass or a form of polyester fibers. Respira claims that recycling these materials is impossible, making them dangerous for the environment. It’s one of the most considerable hepa air purifier side effects.
Creates noise pollution
The higher speed you operate an air purifier, the more noise it produces. According to hvac, the noise level can be reduced by ensuring proper placement.
Risk of mercury contamination
UV air purifiers release ozone as their by-product. Their damaged UV bulbs enhance the chance of exposure to expose mercury in the air. (Source: Zelect)
Activated carbon filters are hard to clean.
All air purifiers activated carbon filters are easy and more effective to replace than washing. Air ionizers and ozone generators don’t use any filters, no hassle of cleaning.
FAQ
Let’s see some FAQs for a better understanding.
Can air purifiers cause breathing problems?
Air purifiers cause severe or chronic breathing problems depending on the ozone exposure level. The result often includes throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Can air purifiers cause congestion?
Air purifiers can lead to nasal congestion, resulting in difficulty in the breath. Running air purifiers continuously causes pain and irritation in your nose and sinuses.
Do ionic air purifiers cause cancer?
Causing cancer by an air purifier is rare, but it’s possible. Adverse ion air purifier side effects aren’t unsafe for humans. But, this air purifier emits ozone, resulting in severe lung issues. And the final outcome might be cancer.
Conclusion
Now you know most of the adverse side effects of air purifiers. They’re not that bad unless you do regular maintenance.
Air purifiers are expensive. Its parts are hard to replace. Also, they increase the chance of respiratory issues.
Apart from that, an air purifier can be a helpful home appliance to keep your house safe. The risk is minimal if you use an air purifier with an activated carbon filter and HEPA filter.
This setup can eliminate most of the germs and make your health conditions improved.
