Ahhhh....Breathe.

This week, my lungs have suffered. It feels like I only just got through the last batch of crazy California wildfires, and now here we are again. Each time the fires start blazing through the dry southern California land, I am reminded not only of all the people who’s lives are turned upside down by the evacuations and losses, but of the sad state of our air quality. The thin layer of yellowish pollution that settles on the horizon after acres of pesticide treated woodlands and VOC laced homes erupt into ash provides a stark visual memento and scares me: this is what we are breathing? And the thing is, it doesn’t stop once the fires stop. Everyday, we are breathing toxic fumes and poisons. They are impossible to get away from. And the worst of it is often indoors.

So let’s talk air purifiers. The most common type of air purification systems is portable (although more expensive whole-house filtration systems can be installed in homes with central heating systems as well). The usefulness of these units is measured in 2 ways: efficiency, and CADR, or clean air delivery rate. Look for a filter with HEPA grade efficiency, meaning that it removes at least 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles from the air, and don’t settle for anything less! CADR measures how much clean air is distributed into the room, and in order to achieve maximum effectiveness, you’ll want to purchase an air purifier that has a CADR rating that is the same as the square footage of the room. So for a room that is 10’ by 10’, you’ll want a purifier with a CADR of 100.

Another important factor is ozone. Certain electric and ionic air purifiers create measurable amounts of ozone, an air pollutant, so make sure yours doesn’t! There are some brands that claim to have a scrubber that removes ozone, but why gamble when there are plenty of brands out there that work just fine without ozone byproducts?

For more information on air purification systems, visit http://www.cadr.org/consumer/certified.html