Top Quality Air Purifiers and Healthy Home Solutions that You Can Trust

As our knowledge of COVID-19 continues to evolve, so does the pool of resources that can be used to reduce the chances of transmitting it. Social distancing, masks and rigorous surface disinfection are all now familiar methods for keeping the virus at bay. Another emerging tool in this fight is ultraviolet-C, or UV-C, light. This spectrum of light is believed to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and some air purifiers use it as extra protection against living organisms. Here's what you need to know about UV-C air purifiers and how they may be able to help reduce the level of the COVID-19 virus in the air.  

What Is UV-C and How Does it Affect Coronaviruses?

  While everyone knows what ultraviolet light is, many don't realize that it can be divided up into different categories, designated UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. These categories reflect the effects of the UV light at different wavelengths. Ultraviolet C has the shortest range of wavelenths, from 100-280 nanometers. At this range, UV light has germicidal properties. Thanks to the ultra-short wavelengths that characterize it, UV-C light can disrupt the chemical bonds of DNA molecules, allowing it to inactivate viruses and bacteria quite effectively.   UV-C has long been known to kill off coronaviruses in the same family as SARS-CoV-2. The laboratory standard for these similar viruses is UV-C light at a 254 nanometer wavelength applied at a dosage of 20 millijoules per square centimeter. Because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is so new, though, most experts have advised erring on the side of caution with a considerably higher dosage of UV-C light to ensure that it is rendered inactive.  

UV-C Air Purifiers

  When a UV-C germicidal lamp is built into an air purifier, it can add an extra layer of protection against viruses, bacteria and mold spores in the air. As air is passed through the purifier's internal irradiation chamber, it is exposed to UV-C light. This allows the purifier to reduce these biological contaminants. While many such contaminants will get captured in HEPA filters anyway, the UV-C lamp can offer added peace of mind.  

But Wait, I Thought COVID-19 Wasn't Spread Through the Air?

  Since COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic, experts, researchers and health services have debated back and forth over how the disease spreads. At different points, airborne transmission, coughing and sneezing from infected people, person-to-person contact and even surface spread have held favor as the main transmission pathway for the virus. While it could be quite a while before we know for sure, airborne transmission has recently returned to the spotlight as a major driver of the pandemic.   Recently, a group of 239 experts joined together in an open letter warning that evidence strongly suggests that COVID-19 is being transmitted in an aerosol form. As a result, the social distancing measures currently in place may not be sufficient to stop or slow down the spread of the virus. The probability of airborne spread means that proper use of face masks is even more important than previously believed. It also supports the use of air purification technologies that may reduce the amount of the virus in indoor air.  

What Are Some of the Best UV-C Air Purifiers?

  If you're looking for a good UV-C air purifier, we have several models to choose from. Some of our top ultraviolet air purifiers are listed below for your convenience:  

• Field Controls TRIO
• Airpura UV600
• AllerAir AirMedic Pro 6 Exec UV
• Airpura I600

  Have questions about which UV-C air purifier is the right choice for your home? We're here to help! Feel free to contact us, and we'll be happy to help you select the unit that's the best fit for your needs.

While you probably know that ozone exposure has several negative health implications, you may not realize that ozone levels are worse at some times of the year than others. Specifically, ozone levels are worst when the weather gets warm in the summertime. Since summer is just around the corner, we thought this would be a great time to explore why summer ozone season happens and how you can keep yourself safe.  

Why Is There More Ozone in the Summer?

  There's always some ground level ozone floating around. With that said, the levels of this dangerous gas rise significantly as the weather warms. The reason for this is that ground level ozone is produced by chemical reactions powered by sunlight. Compounds found in vehicle and industrial air pollution, when exposed to sunlight and hot temperatures, can react to form ozone. The combination of more direct sunlight and longer daylight hours creates the summer ozone season. Since more people travel in the summer, there is also more vehicle exhaust in the air. As a result, the compounds that react to form ozone become more available.  

How Can You Protect Yourself During Summer Ozone Season?

  Because most ground level ozone is found outdoors, there are limits to how much you can do to protect yourself. One very useful step you can take, though, is to limit your time outdoors on especially clear days. If there's a bit of cloud cover, the ozone levels won't be quite as high due to limited sunlight. Ozone also tends to be a bit lower in the evenings, though this can change if the night is especially hot or very still.   Inside your house, though, you can exert a bit more control. Start by using your central air system to circulate air in your home, rather than opening the windows. By doing this, you'll limit the amount of ozone you're bringing in from outside. You should also consider using a high-quality air purifier with an activated carbon filter during summer ozone season. Studies have shown that activated carbon filters can be highly effective for removing ozone, although their effectiveness does decrease with time.   While summer ozone season is a serious problem, a few simple precautions can help you avoid the worst of it. The more you can limit your exposure to ground level ozone, the less risk of serious health consequences associated with it you'll have.    

For the last two months, there has been intense speculation about the link between COVID-19 and air quality improvements in major cities. One of our April blog posts focused on these air quality improvements, and now new data shown that they were, in fact, linked to the COVID shutdowns. Thanks to satellite imaging, scientists have ruled out weather as the cause of these changes, effectively proving that the shutdowns associated with COVID-19 significantly reduced global emissions and air pollution levels.  

COVID-19 and Air Pollution: A New Analysis

  The new analysis was conducted by the European Space Agency using a specialized satellite that can track levels of gases in the atmosphere with state-of-the-art imaging technology. Using this satellite, scientists compared current levels of nitrogen dioxide, a common component of air pollution, to the levels measured at the same time last year. The data were then compared to a computer-generated model predicting what those levels would have looked like in the absence of the COVID-19 shutdowns. This step helped the team to rule out the effects of weather conditions on the results, since nitrogen dioxide can be washed out by rain or spread out by winds.   The results of this comparison confirmed that the air quality improvements we've seen in recent months were largely the result of the lockdowns. Reductions in nitrogen dioxide of between 20 and 75 percent were measured over the same period last year. Even adjusting for weather conditions, the models strongly suggest that the reduction in commercial activity and travel over the last few months has improved air quality.   Aside from environmental benefits, this improved air quality may help to reduce the severity of the pandemic itself. Exposure to air pollution has been identified as a potential risk factor for severe COVID-19 symptoms. With air quality improving, it's possible that fewer vulnerable people will develop severe forms of the disease.   The effects of COVID-19 on air quality may also provide a useful road map for pollution control going forward. Many scientists have been surprised by how quickly air quality has improved worldwide, suggesting that major changes to emissions could result in short-term as well as long-term benefits.   With that said, other effects of air pollution may take longer to mitigate. Even as global emissions have gone down, the alarming signs of global warming have continued more or less at the same pace as before the lockdowns. Most notably, a heat wave in Siberia has recently resulted in the region's first recorded 100-degree day.   Given the rapid improvements seen in the wake of the shutdowns, though, it is clear that emission reductions can have real-time impacts on air quality and pollution levels. By reducing emissions now, we can greatly improve the quality of the air we breathe both for ourselves and for future generations.

With spring almost over and summer about to start, you may have noticed that your allergies have been especially bad this year. Allergies may be low on your radar amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, but they can still be a serious annoyance. Here's what you need to know about why allergy season 2020 has been so bad and how you can protect yourself with a home air purifier.  

Why Is Allergy Season 2020 Worse Than Most?

  The reason for the worsening allergies this season is that two pollen seasons are overlapping in an unusual way. Ordinarily, tree pollen saturates the air in April and May. By June, trees finish their pollination, and grasses begin theirs. This leads to a steady pollen level throughout the spring and early summer, producing a normal allergy season.   This year, though, the dynamic is a bit different. Cool weather and rains lasted longer into the spring than usual in many parts of the United States this year. As a result, the pollination season for trees began later than normal. This has meant an overlap between tree pollen and grass pollen season that has led to more severe allergies for many people.  

How to Reduce Your Allergy Symptoms

  If you're suffering from allergies but don't want to deal with the fog and tiredness that come with antihistamine medications, there are several steps you can take to limit your exposure to this season's excessive pollen. For starters, keep pollen out of your home by closing the windows and using the air conditioning system to circulate air. This will keep your home comfortable without allowing pollen in. You can also limit your time spent outside by exercising indoors and only going out when it's absolutely necessary.   If you want to be especially careful, you might even consider changing your clothes and shoes and taking a shower whenever you come in from outside. This will keep pollen from spreading inside your home and get it off of your skin and hair before it can cause an allergic reaction. This step may be unnecessary for mild allergy sufferers, but it's a good idea if you or someone you live with suffers from severe allergies, asthma, COPD or other respiratory illnesses.   Finally, you can protect yourself with a high-quality HEPA air purifier. The fine filter material in a HEPA purifier can easily capture grains of pollen, removing them from the air in your home. By capturing pollen before it has a chance to cause an allergy flare-up, you can reduce your overall symptoms during the heavy allergy season of 2020. Some of our top recommendations for allergy control include the Amaircare 3000 HEPA, Airpura I600, Austin Air Allergy Machine and Rabbit Air Minus A2.   Have questions about how an air purifier can help relieve your allergy symptoms or which model you should be using? We're here to help! Feel free to contact us with your questions, and we'll be happy to provide you with answers and personalized product recommendations based on your unique needs and the size of your home.

One of the most common questions people have when they decide to buy an air purifier is whether or not they should get a model that features a UV germicidal lamp. While these air purifiers are often seen as a better approach to killing mold spores, bacteria and even viruses, there are also certain drawbacks. Today, we'll look at the case for both UV and non-UV air purifiers so that you can choose the best unit for your needs.  

The Case for UV Air Purifiers

  The case in favor of UV air purifiers is fairly straightforward. High-intensity UV light kills viruses, bacteria and mold spores by disrupting chemical bonds in their DNA. Once neutralized by UV radiation, these pathogens lose the ability to cause disease in humans and effectively become inert solids.   When applied in an air purifier, this principle requires a special bulb that emits UV radiation. Typically, these bulbs emit a special type of ultraviolet light known as UVC, which represents the most germicidal range of wavelengths in the UV spectrum. To prevent harm to humans, the UV light emitted by these bulbs is carefully contained within the body of the air purifier. Air being pulled through the purifier is passed under the bulb, thus exposing any microorganisms in it to the UVC light. Through this simple mechanism, a UV air purifier can kill up to 99 percent of pathogens present in the air.  

The Case Against UV Germicidal Lamps

  After seeing the benefits of UV germicidal lamps, it would seem that there's an open and shut case in favor of UV. However, there are also some drawbacks to using UV bulbs in air purifiers. According to a report prepared by an environmental engineer working on behalf of Austin Air which we've reviewed, the addition of a UV bulb increases costs for both initial purchase and maintenance, and significant steps must be taken to ensure that airborne microorganisms are exposed to the light long enough to neutralize them. Because UV bulbs wear out fairly quickly, they also require continuous monitoring to ensure that they are effectively irradiating the air that passes through the air purifier.   UV air purifiers must also be carefully engineered to prevent insulated wiring or other plastic parts from being exposed to UV light. Because of the high-energy nature of UV radiation, it can cause plastics to deteriorate. This, in turn, can release chemical radicals into the air. Ironically, a poorly designed air purifier with a UV bulb could potentially result in more airborne contamination, rather than less.   Finally, there's a case to be made that HEPA filtration is enough to capture most microorganisms on its own. With a required efficiency of 99.97 percent of particles down to the 0.3 micron diameter, HEPA filters are actually capable of capturing most mold spores and bacteria quite effectively. Even small solid particles, such as viruses, can be captured by HEPA filters a majority of the time thanks to a phenomenon known as diffusion, which causes the tiniest particles to become trapped in a filter's fibers. As a result, UV lamps represent only an extra layer of protection beyond what HEPA filters are already capable of.  

So, Is a UV Air Purifier Worth It?

  This isn't a strictly yes or no question. For most customers, buying a UV air purifier is likely overkill, though it won't do any harm if you don't mind the added expense involved. If you're buying an air purifier for medical purposes or you have a compromised immune system, though, the added protection of a UV germicidal lamp could still be worth having.   If you do decide to go with a UV unit, be sure to buy from a trusted brand that is engineered to apply UV light safely and avoid chemical contaminants. Here at US Air Purifiers, you'll find a wide range of high-quality UV air purifiers that will meet your needs safely and reliably. If you're looking for more general protection, you can also browse our selection of HEPA air purifiers.   Still have questions about which type of air purifier is right for you? Don't worry, we're here to help! Feel free to contact us with your questions, and we'll be happy to provide you with answers and personalized product recommendations to help you find the perfect air purifier for your home or office.