Cutting through the confusion and misinformation.
Proven to Be Effective By a Multitude of Scientific Studies
Negative ion air purification has been studied, and found to be highly effective by a variety of reputable organizations and agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Ionizers" have been looked upon as an alternative or complementary air purification to conventional air filtration techniques, in efforts to reduce costs and increase performance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Finds Ionizers to be Effective
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found negative ion air purification (a.k.a. ionizers) to effectively reduce airborne dust and bacteria in poultry houses, which are notoriously polluted. In their tests, airborne bacteria was reduced by 95%, airborne dust & particles were reduced by 99% in 60 seconds, and bacteria transmission between chicks was reduced by 98%. If the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture trusts negative ion air purification for an environment as filthy as a poultry house, then it is fair to say they can be counted upon to keep airborne pollutants at bay in your home or office as well.
Negative Ions Are Completely Safe
There is a misconception that negative ions are somehow hazardous to our health. However, numerous studies have found them to be completely safe. Ionizers have been tested extensively in hospital burn units, and no side effects were observed. Columbia University researchers also found in their tests that negative ions result in relatively no side effects.
The misconception regarding adverse health effects from negative ions is a result of the confusion between negative ions and ozone. It is important to understand that negative ions and ozone are two different things. Negative ions are harmless, regardless of concentration. In very high concentrations, ozone can be hazardous to your health, although this has been overstated and misunderstood by many.
Not All Ionizers Produce Ozone.
The reason for the confusion is due to the fact that some ionizer air purifiers also produce ozone. However, not all ionizers produce ozone. For example, the Surround Air Multi-Tech air purifier's ionizer produces virtually no ozone at all (not enough to register on ozone measuring equipment). Some ionizers have a separate ozone generator, which can produce a significant amount of ozone if the ozone generator is activated, and especially if turned to a higher setting.
Other types of ionizers produce minimal amounts of ozone as a byproduct. For instance, ionizers that use electrostatically-charged metal plates will produce ozone as a side effect. These types of air purifiers may produce a fairly high amount of ozone within just a few inches of the unit. However, the ozone concentration will dilute and dissipate to virtually nothing at merely a few feet or so away from this type of unit.
In which case, ionizers with electrostatically-charged plates are safe, especially if you avoid positioning the ionizer within a few feet of your breathing zone for long periods of time. The Surround Air XJ-2100 is an example of an electrostatically-charged ionizer that produces only trace amounts of ozone concentrations (at just a few feet away). The advantage of the charged plates is that they help draw air flow through the unit, and magnetically trap particles and pollutants, removing them from the air. The Surround Air XJ-2100 also includes an independently-controlled fan for increased air movement.
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