Air Purifier Glossary

Activated Carbon

Activated Carbon is a highly adsorbent powdered carbon that purifies by adsorption. It is made by burning carbon-based materials at very high temperatures to create a porous internal structure that provides a huge surface area that is ideal for removing odorous compounds and gases.

Airborne

Airborne refers to particles that float in the air. Air filters are used to catch these particles and clean the air.

Air Changes per Hour (ACH)

Air Changes per Hour measures the amount of times an air purifier cleans and re-circulates all of the air in a given room during one hour. The more changes per hour the more effective the filter is.

Air Purifier

An air purifier is a device that removes contaminants such as viruses, microscopic organisms, pet dander, dust and allergens from the air. Purifiers are especially beneficial to people who suffer from allergies and asthmatics. They also help to reduce and eliminate odors from pets, tobacco smoke and gasses.

Air Quality Index(AQI)

The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. There are six categories each assigned a specific color to make it easier for people to understand the air pollution and associated health concerns for their community.

Allergen

An allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction in a person's immune system. Although the list is long, the most common allergens are pet dander, smoke and pollen.

Bacteria

Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms that have no easily identifiable nucleus and inhabit virtually all environments. Most types of bacteria are harmless to humans and many are even beneficial.

Biohazard

A biohazard describes biological waste that is often contaminated in some way.

Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)

The CADR indicates the total volume of air that a specific air purifier cleans of a particular pollutant in one minute. CADR delivers test results for three main pollutants: tobacco smoke, pollen and dust. The higher the numbers, the faster the unit filters the air.

Cleanroom

A cleanroom is an environment that has a low level of environmental pollutants. They are 10,000 times cleaner than a hospital operating room and are often used for scientific research and manufacturing. Air entering a cleanroom from outside is filtered to exclude dust and the air inside is constantly re-circulated through HEPA filters at about 10 times per minute to remove internally generated contaminants.

Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM)

Cubic Feet per Minute measures how much air passes through a stationary point in one minute. A higher CMF means that the air passes through the air purifier at a higher rate.

Energy Star

Energy Star is a program that was developed in 1992 by the EPA to identify and promote products that are energy efficient. Devices carrying the Energy Star rating are generally 20-30% more efficient than non-rated models, which save the consumer money and help protect the environment.

EPA

EPA is the acronym for the US Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is responsible for implementing laws that promote public health by protecting our air, water and soil from harmful pollution.

HEPA

HEPA is the acronym for high efficiency particulate air. It is a type of air filter that must meet the standard of trapping at least 99.97 percent of all particles larger than 0.3 microns. A HEPA filter is widely regarded as the ultimate filter.

Indoor Pollution

Indoor air pollution describes the contaminants inside of a building. It is often ignored, but can actually be worse than outdoor air pollution due to poor ventilation. Sources of indoor pollution include tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust mites, mold, pollen, pesticides and gases such as radon and carbon monoxide.

Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor air pollution describes the contaminants inside of a building. It is often ignored, but can actually be worse than outdoor air pollution due to poor ventilation. Sources of indoor pollution include tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust mites, mold, pollen, pesticides and gases such as radon and carbon monoxide.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a term referring to the air quality within a confined space, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of the occupants. It can be affected by such things as mold, bacteria and gases and is becoming an increasingly more concerning health hazard than outdoor air. The IAQ is measured according to guidelines set by the government and is used to measure the efficiency of air purification and filtration systems.

Ionizers

Ionizers use high voltage electricity to electrically charge air molecules and create negative electrons. The negative ions charge small particles that clump together and become too heavy to remain airborne. These charged particles end up sticking to any surface available. This process often creates ozone as a dangerous byproduct.

Mold

Molds are microscopic organisms that are present virtually everywhere. They aid in the breakdown of dead material and recycle nutrients in the environment. Mold will grow and multiply with sufficient moisture. It can be a concern in the home and exposure can cause health effects.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

MCS is an unusually severe sensitivity to many different pollutants including solvents, VOC's, perfumes, diesel, smoke and chemicals in general. MCS is different from true allergies because it has no known cause and its processes are not fully understood. Studies show that MCS is more common in women than men and most often in younger adults between the ages of 30 and 50.

Negative Ion

Negative ions are invisible molecules that are odorless and tasteless. We inhale them in abundance while in certain environments such as mountains, waterfalls and beaches. They are believed to produce biochemical reactions that help alleviate depression, relieve stress and boost our energy. Unfortunately modern homes and offices seal out negative ions and most appliances and modern building materials produce an excess of positive ions which contribute to decreased energy, fatigue and depression. Negative ions work to clean the air by attaching to positively charged particles and weighing them down, until they drop out of the air.

Natural Ventilation

Natural ventilation is the process of supplying and removing outdoor air through an indoor space by natural means such as windows, doors and cracks in the home.

Negative Pressure

Negative pressure is a condition that exists when less an enclosed area has lower pressure than the area surrounding it.

Ozone

Ozone (O3) is a tri-atomic molecule that consists of three oxygen atoms. It is highly unstable and reacts with air borne particles by launching the third oxygen atom at anything near it. When this oxygen atom reacts with the air borne particle, a tiny explosion occurs and destroys the particle. Ozone purifiers are highly effective against both dust and microscopic organisms, but can be unhealthy when exposed to large quantities.

Off-gassing

Off-gassing is the evaporation of volatile chemicals in non-metallic materials at normal atmospheric pressure. Materials such as paints, stains and varnishes can produce significant off-gassing in your home or office. The off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) seriously affect the quality of air indoors.

Pet Dander

Pet Dander is the tiny scales of an animal's dead skin that is shed. Pet Dander can float in the air for a long time before sticking to a surface allowing it to be spread widely around a home.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Volatile Organic Compounds are gases emitted by a wide range of products found around the home such as paints and lacquers, cleaning supplies, pesticides and building materials, 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. Pollution indoors can be up to five times worse than pollution outdoors, due to high levels of VOCs.