air sterilisation?

jumper

I saw an ad for a room air cleaner. It uses a ceramic heater to pyrolyse pollutants. Worth a try?

BillW

Pyrolyzer?

I am not familiar with any technology that does that. Do you have a link? I f I can read something about it I can probaly tell you more. Mechanical filtration gets rid of particles, so does electrostatic precipitation (electronic air cleaners). Gaseous pollutants can be adsorbed by activated carbon, or captured by CPZ (charcoal, postassium permangenate & zeolite) or diluted and exhausted by ventilation air. Along with source removal, these are the standard ways of dealing with IAQ issues.

jumper

hammacher schlemmer

hammacher schlemmer markets it.

BillW

Pyrolyzer

What kind of an air quality issue do you have? I need a bit more information, please.

jumper

air quality issue

severe allergies

BillW

Allergies

Airborne allergens like pollen, pet dander and mold spores are particles, not germs or viruses. They can remain suspended in the air for a long time, especially the mold spores, many of which are very small. I looked up the unit you are considering, and it seems to be a variation on the theme of single room air cleaners which employ filters, ultraviolet light and activated carbon to remove or minimize particles and gases or vapors. This particular one uses a new techmology; a ceramic heater that suppposedly "cooks" the viruses or bacteria as they pass by it, and doesn't filter the air at all, so dead germs wouldn't be removed. In studies involving ultraviolet lights and how effective they were at killing viruses and germs, the key factor was "dwell time", or the time a virus or germ was exposed to the light as it passed by in the air stream. I would assume that the same applies to heat. I haven't worked with this technology, so I can not comment on how effective it is.



Have you been diagnosed by a medical professionalr as to what you are allergic to? Once you know that, you can begin with source removal and exposure minimization.

A single-room air purifier may be of some help with pollen or dander or other particles. The type with ultraviolet lights can kill or inactivate some viruses and germs. Activated carbon can minimize some odors. Keep the room door and windows closed, and allow the unit to run constantly, and change or clean the filters as the manufacturer recommends. Plastic mattress and pillow covers can help with dust mites. An allergen-reducing dust bag on your vacuum cleaner can be helpful, since most vac bags allow fine dust to blow right thru them. Pet hair is NOT the cause of an allergic reaction. It is the saliva that the pet leaves on their hair during grooming that dries, and flakes off and becomes airborne, along with dander, or shed skin cells. It is a protein, and can cause allergies in some people. Cosmetics, especially hair sprays, can trigger allergies. I hope you find this helpful. Visit the "Consumer Reports" website and see how they rate any of these products. No IAQ accessory can "cure" any allergy, but they can help minimize them if installed, used and maintained properly