Breathing is the most important act of the human body outside of a beating heart. It is important that we breathe clean air and while we spend most of our lives inside, we mistakenly assume the air is clean when we are indoors. Unfortunately, indoors there are many dangers that travel through the air. We are exposed to a wide range of air traveling particles, smoke and gases every time we inhale the air in our homes, places of work, entertainment venues and shopping centers. Air filtration Pennsylvania captures most of those pollutants before people can inhale them endangering their health.
Particles that Travel Through the Air
The most overlooked particle is dust. Pet dander and dust mites help make up those household dust particles. We love our pets and generally overlook the hazards living with them pose.
Silica dust can get lodged in the tiny alveolar sacs of the lung. They cannot be moved by mucous or coughing. Silica dust comes from rock. Quarry workers, miners and glass blowers are most often affected by it. The men and women who work in factories and construction sites are exposed to hazardous dust daily. Fabrics produce harmful dust that sewers and cutters are exposed to. Fabrics like fake furs and velvets shed the most air borne dust.
In construction, the workers are exposed to a lot more dangerous dust particles. They are exposed to the toxic dust emitted by concrete and mortar as well as silica dust from sand, granite and stone. These particles travel to the homes of workers on their clothing and shoes, on their skin and in their hair. By transference, these particles enter the home and pose the same danger to your family members, maybe more to the younger members of your household.
Types of Air Filters
• HEPA Filters
• Activated Carbon Filters
• Ionic Filters
• Ultraviolet Light Air Purifiers
Dust Sizes
• Pet Dander is .5 to 100 microns in size.
• Mold is 2-20 microns in size.
• Pollen is 5-100 microns in size.
• Dust Mites are .5 to 50 microns in size.
• Bacteria is .35-10 microns is size.
The most commonly used air filters are designed to remove bacteria, mold, pollen and dust from the air. These filters are activated by their fibrous structure and the charcoal inside them. They also filter out some odors and gases.
High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters was developed after WWII to rid radioactive dust particles from the air. These air filters trap particles from .1 to .3 microns in size. It traps 99.7{8f234e22deffbc7008c4cce2a3cc430030dd6aef030386071d087bb368478217} of .3 microns particles and 95{8f234e22deffbc7008c4cce2a3cc430030dd6aef030386071d087bb368478217} of .1-micron particles.
Activated carbon filters have small pores lined with absorbent carbon that bonds to the pollutant as it passes through the holes. Ionic filters work in tandem with negative ion generators. These air purifiers produce ozone as a byproduct which itself is harmful to those who inhale it. Ultraviolet light air purifiers kill bacteria, mold, yeast and viruses but they are not effective at eliminating dust. Using a combination of these filters would clean a home’s air significantly.