Consumer Reports found that ionizing air purifiers like the Ionic Breeze created “almost no measurable reduction in airborne particles” [source]. Sharper Image sued Consumer Reports. The magazine later conducted further tests in response to Sharper Image’s complaints and still found the Ionic Breeze to be ineffective.
A federal court dismissed the suit. CR’s October 2005 issue — which gives the Ionic Breeze “poor” grades for its ability to clean dust and smoke particles from the air — went to press before the release of the newest Ionic Breeze model, which includes OzoneGuard, a feature that partially clears ozone from the air.
The Short Answer. Most ionic air purifiers (ionizers) are completely safe and not bad for your health. They emit negative ions into the air as a way to clean it which is harmless to you. They’re often confused with ozone generators which emit high levels of ozone that can be bad for health.
Included in the study were several ionic air purifiers made by The SharperImage, including the popular Ionic Breeze Quadra. These machines producedetectable levels of ozone. But they did not emit dangerous levels of ozone,except when a Quadra model intended for a large room was tested in a tinybathroom.
Portable air cleaners and HVAC filters can reduce indoor air pollutants, including viruses, that are airborne. By themselves, portable air cleaners and HVAC filters are not enough to protect people from the virus that causes COVID-19.
Conclusion. Ionic air purifiers are quiet, cost-efficient, and filter-free. HEPA filters are particularly effective at removing odors as well as the smallest particles of dust and pollutants. Either way, you will enjoy the benefits of cleaner, fresher air.
Inhalation or exposure to negative ions is fairly safe for humans, as negative ions are already naturally occurring in our environments from sources such as sunshine, lighting, and waterfalls. However, it is the production of ozone from these ionic air cleaners that pose a risk to human health.
Under certain use conditions, ion generators and other ozone generating air cleaners can produce levels of this lung irritant significantly above levels thought harmful to human health. A small percentage of air cleaners that claim a health benefit may be regulated by FDA as a medical device.
Don’t go by the name, there is nothing negative or unhealthy about negative ions. Negative ions are beneficial for the human body while positive ions are harmful. In fact, you will find the highest concentrations of negative ions in natural, clean air.
Disadvantages of an Air Ionizer Purifier
Since people often have particles of various sizes polluting their indoor air, this can present a problem. In addition, they produce small amounts of ozone, which is actually a lung irritant and also detrimental to the environment.
While air purifiers remove particles from circulation by trapping them, ionizers simply make them heavy enough to fall to the ground meaning they still need to be cleaned up, and they can easily be disturbed and reintroduced into the air.
Besides inducing migraines, side effects of ozone ionizer air purifier side effects include new or worsening respiratory illness or asthma, which can cause symptoms of shortness of breath or chest pain/tightness.
Ionizing air purifiers, because of their electric charge, do create ozone. Consumer Reports has warned that they may give off potentially harmful ozone levels. “There are plenty of ionic air purifiers; only a small fraction make ozone,” Nizkorodov says.
When used properly, air purifiers can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a home or confined space. However, by itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
Headaches, sore throat, coughing, Asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing are a few of the symptoms that can be brought on by some air purifiers. Yes, that’s right. Your air purifier may actually aggravate many of the health issues you hoped it would solve.
The best place to put an air purifier is somewhere in your breathing zone. The closer the unit is to your head, the shorter distance clean air has to travel before it reaches you. In the bedroom, this usually translates to putting the air purifier on a nightstand or small table close to the bed.
