When you consider air pollution, the last place you expect to face it is in your family's house. However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution could very well be 2 to five times higher - and at times more than a hundred times as high - than outside levels. That means bad indoor air quality is one of the top 5 risks to our family's health. Since a lot of us spend 90% of our time inside our homes and offices, that could lead to a health risk. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filters are one solution for better indoor air quality. HEPA filters have been used since the 1950s when the US Atomic Energy Commission thought it important enough to get rid of tiny radioactive particulates from the air. HEPA filters work something like this: think about one sheet of HEPA paper (in fact it's made of a paper-like fiber or polymer) with extremely tiny holes that filter out contaminating substances. Since the surface area is restricted, only tiny amounts of air are able to pass through. If the size of the sheet was doubled, it would be possible to get 2 times the airflow and double the filter life. A larger surface area would result in a more productive filter. So rather than increasing the total size of the sheet itself, the surface area is increased by being folded back and forth a number of times. Some filters have as much as 40 square feet of filter material. HEPA material is actually a rather incredibly thin bond of fibers. Air is forced to flow through this intricate network of fibers and in the process, the contaminating particles hit the fibers and stick. HEPA filters naturally filter out larger sized particles like dust, however they also work well against bacteria, mold spores and viruses. All kinds of air purifiers proclaim that they clean 99.97% of the air that passes through the HEPA filter - but what they don't disclose is that some air doesn't pass through the filter. If the air doesn't go through the HEPA filter then surely it isn't filtered. That makes the issue of 99.97% efficiency rather questionable. The best HEPA filters don't have a problem in this particular area because their designs include fans that in fact push air through the filter - the more air that passes through the filters, the healthier and cleaner the air becomes. The size of the room is a significant consideration when determining the size the air purifier should be. Evidently the bigger the room is, the bigger the filter ought to be. An additional thought is to have two smaller filters. They can divide the work - and allow double the amount air to make it through the filter. Note that HEPA filters do not filter out gasses, odors and chemicals. That's because these molecules are much too tiny compared to HEPA's 0.3 micron holes. In order to filter out these adverse molecules, some type of substance is important to absorb them - activated carbon is mainly used. Take time to ask questions before making a decision about which air filter to get for your family's health. Reputable store owners know about their brands and can best suggest which size of filter is necessary to guard your home and ensure it's healthy and clean.
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