Facts about Air
The Air we Breathe
Indoor air is 100 times more polluted than outdoor air.
Bad, stale air in your home can cause:
· eye, nose, throat and lung irritations
· colds and flu, sneezing and wheezing
· headaches, fatigue, asthma and allergy symptoms
· waking up with puffy eyes, a sore throat, or a
stuffed up nose
What you can't see CAN hurt you.
99% of pollutants are so small that they are invisible to
the naked eye!
Bacteria
Asbestos
Viruses
Pollen
Dust Mites
Formaldehyde
Germs... and more
Filter facts:
Dust contains 2% aluminum.
There are over two million dust mites in every double bed.
Ozone can kill mould.
A human hair is .75 microns thick. Bacteria is .22 microns. A
virus is .01 microns. The Nutri-Tech cartridge filters down
to 0.03 microns.
Scientists believe that while air pollution probably
doesn't cause asthma, other respiratory conditions or
heart problems, it certainly aggravates them. And new
research suggests that some of the smallest pollutants (too
small to be measured until recently) may be linked to lung
cancer.
U.S. POLLUTION IS PART OF THE PROBLEM .
BUT HOMEGROWN HAZARDS ARE ALSO TAKING A TOLL ON HUMAN HEALTH.
By Pat Moffat
First published in Chatelaine's October 1996 issue.
© Pat Moffat
Every breath I take hurts," says Judy LeBlanc, one of
Saint John's most vocal campaigners for clean air.
Stricken for more than 10 years with a severe respiratory
disease, bronchiectasis, and maintained by medications whose
side effects include heart palpitations, nausea and weight
loss, the 43?year?old mother of two teenagers continues to
fight local air pollution despite
her doctors' warnings to slow down. She knows the air is
making her sicker.
Part of LeBlanc's motivation is to fulfill a pact she
made with her friend and fellow
campaigner Cynthia Marino, who died during an asthma attack
in May 1995. "Cindy and I
promised that if one of us died, the other would continue
the work," says LeBlanc.
In several urban trouble spots?Vancouver, Saint John and the
Quebec City?Windsor corridor?air pollution is taking a toll
on human health. Studies are showing that people with
respiratory and heart conditions are at risk of premature
death in polluted cities and that children can be seriously
affected. Some of the most dangerous pollutants are ozone
(which contributes to smog and comes primarily from
vehicles), sulfate (an acidic aerosol formed largely from
industrial and power?plant emissions of sulfur dioxide),
carbon monoxide (largely from vehicles) and very fine
particles (primarily from industrial emissions) that
penetrate deeply into the lungs. This "particulate
matter" is measured in microns as PM10 or PM2.5; a human
hair, by comparison, is 100 microns thick.
Scientists believe that while air pollution probably
doesn't cause asthma, other respiratory conditions or
heart problems, it certainly aggravates them. And new
research suggests that some of the smallest pollutants (too
small to be measured until recently) may be linked to lung
cancer.
Saint John receives hefty amounts of pollutants from the
United States. But it's a local problem that's made
the city's air notorious. In Saint John's east end,
an oil?fired electricity plant, a pulp?and?paper mill and the
biggest oil refinery in Canada, owned by the Irving family,
all emit sulfur dioxide, which, in the city's frequent
fogs, becomes sulfuric acid. "Saint John is certainly
not the most polluted city in Canada, but it has the most
acidic air we've ever measured," says Health Canada
scientist Rick Burnett. Unfortunately, neither Environment
Canada's air quality index nor our supplemental data
fully reflect the amount of corrosive sulfuric acid in
the air. That's why Saint John scores higher than it
probably should in our air quality rankings (see "The
regulatory haze.")
In southern Ontario, on the other hand (where up to half the
air pollution comes from the United States), and Vancouver
(where most is homegrown), ozone and fine particles are of
greatest concern. A study by Burnett and Haluk Ozkaynak at
the Harvard School of Public Health, which correlated
nonaccidental deaths with daily levels of ozone and other
pollutants over 20 years in Metro Toronto, concluded that 30
deaths each month are related to high levels of air
pollution.
"Among asthmatics and people with allergies, even a low
exposure to ozone can increase their sensitivity to
allergens," says Dr. David Bates, professor emeritus of
medicine at the University of British Columbia and an
authority on air pollution and health. "Studies are also
showing that PM10 has a long?term and highly significant
health impact, not only for asthma but possibly also for lung
cancer and cardiovascular diseases." People doing
aerobic exercise in peak smog times, the elderly, infants and
children are especially susceptible. Health Canada's Rick
Burnett has found that 15 percent of the summer
hospitalizations of babies in southern Ontario are linked to
high levels of air pollution.
In the west, Calgary and Edmonton contend with hydrogen
sulfide from the petroleum industry and traffic exhaust.
Winnipeg's wheat?stubble burning in the fall and swirling
sand in the spring (from winter de?icing) help explain its
mediocre position in our air quality rankings. And in
near?pristine Saskatoon, which scores among the best on the
pollutants Environment Canada reports, teacher Judith Benson
is seeing more children with "puffers" for asthma.
She also worries about cancer from pesticide residues.
"In the summer, there's grit on my furniture,"
says
Benson. "If we're getting topsoil as household
dust, we must be getting the pesticides too." So far,
there are no studies to ease?or confirm?her fears.
Compared with much of the world, Canada enjoys enviable air
quality. Yet the fact remains that Canadians are getting sick
and dying from air pollution. And unanswered questions beg
for better regulations and monitoring. It's citizens who
often drive change. In Saint John, Judy LeBlanc is proud of
what "two housewives" and other volunteers in the
Citizens' Coalition for Clean Air have helped accomplish
in two years: a new Clean Air bill before the legislature and
a
toughening of the provincial standard for industrial sulfur
dioxide emissions. And now that LeBlanc no longer lives in
the pollution?plagued east end her family moved last winter
she has more energy to campaign for a respiratory clinic.
THE REGULATORY HAZE
First, the bad news. Our guidelines are old, our laws have
no teeth and change is a political
football. The good news? There's a committee studying
the problem...
By Pat Moffat
First published in Chatelaine's October 1996 issue.
© Pat Moffat
Last year we had egg on our face. Our ranking of Saint John
as top city for air quality triggered a torrent of protests,
including a letter from 14?year?old asthmatic Amy Evans.
What went wrong? Our rankings relied entirely on Environment
Canada's air quality index, the main source of national
pollution data, reporting acceptable or unacceptable levels
of ozone, sulfur dioxide, total suspended particulate, carbon
monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in most Canadian cities.
According to the index, one of the worst cities for people
with respiratory diseases came out on top.
"Many things have a greater effect on health than
what's in the air quality index," says Tom Dann,
head of air toxics in Environment Canada's Environmental
Protection Service. In Saint John, acidic aerosols and very
fine particles just 2.5 microns or less in diameter (known as
PM2.5) appear to be causing the problems. Yet they're not
part of the main index.
Why not? Government regulations catch up with changing
scientific knowledge slowly. In several areas, Canada's
guidelines lag behind U.S. standards. Although the gaps in
air quality guidelines are particularly glaring, similar
problems are found in surface?water and drinking?water
guidelines. (For an explanation of how we tried to improve
this year's ranking, see "How we graded them")
AIR
We've been pushing for an objective for PM2.5 since
1987," says a frustrated Environment Canada official who
asked for anonymity. While stations have monitored PM10 and
PM2.5 since 1984, the main air quality index includes only
"total suspended particulate," a grab bag of
different?size particles that most experts now consider
irrelevant as a measure for health effects. The United States
has had a national standard for PM10 since 1987, and the push
is on to extend the law to PM2.5.
One difficulty in trying to ensure that regulations protect
human health is that for some substances there may be no way
of confirming at what point they cause problems. "People
get hospitalized when the ozone is less than 82 parts per
billion, which is the federal objective for acceptable
levels," explains Health Canada scientist Rick Burnett.
"The system of how we set national objectives may not be
appropriate anymore."
Toxics?including benzene, dioxins and heavy metals are
another disturbing unknown. Although 40 stations monitor for
many different airborne toxic chemicals across the country,
no national air quality objectives cover them.
WHAT'S NEEDED NOW
Some of Canada's most serious problems with air and water
pollution can't be solved without the cooperation of our
closest neighbour. Three years after a bilateral air quality
agreement was signed in 1991, officials of both countries
began working on the trans?boundary smog problem in central
and Eastern Canada, where up to 50 percent of air pollution
comes from south of the border. Pete Christich, senior
international officer for U.S.?Canada relations at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., says
that for the past five years the United States has been
"encouraging" Canada to work with British Columbia
to "make progress in treating Victoria's
sewage," 91 percent of which is dumped untreated into
the shared Juan de Fuca Strait. (So far, progress has been
slow.)
The two countries take different approaches to air and water
quality. In the United States, federal laws govern
environmental standards, and polluters face fines and
possible jail terms. In Canada, the federal government sets
guidelines for air and water quality, which the provinces may
turn into enforceable regulations. (In July, for example,
Ontario bowed to political pressure and announced its
intention to crack down on auto emissions. Days later, a
government report showed plans to
dismantle a slew of other environmental regulations in the
interests of unburdening industry.)
It's natural for environmentalists to get fed up with
Canada's kinder, gentler approach, to wish our laws had
more teeth and that governments enforced them more
rigorously. "The federal government doesn't have the
stomach to do what must be done in controlling
polluters," charges Daniel Green, Co-President of the
Société pour vaincre la pollution (a Quebec
organization similar to Pollution Probe) in Montreal.
He's referring to the industries and municipal wastewater
plants
that dump mercury, lead, PCBs and other chemicals into the
St. Lawrence River?polluters that could be charged under the
powerful but little?used Federal Fisheries Act if the
government chose to do so. When Ottawa has acted, its laws
have proven effective. Banning leaded gasoline in
1990 reduced airborne lead?blamed for neurological problems
in children?to very low levels. The federal environment
minister's implementation of stricter standards for auto
emissions this past June, which aim to meet the U.S.
standards for the 1998 model year, is a step in the right
direction. And revisions to the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act of 1988 may have the most far?reaching
consequences yet, says Ann McMillan, member of a
federal?provincial working group on air quality objectives
and guidelines. The aim: to tighten regulations and
strengthen the federal government's ability to prosecute
polluters. But as past experience proves, it's a long
slow road from good intentions to regulatory clout. In the
meantime, we all pay the price. Airborne toxics are another
disturbing unknown. No national objectives govern benzene,
dioxins or heavy metals.
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ANSWERES TO YOUR QUESTIONS
What are carbon and zeolite used for?
Carbon and zeolite are used to remove gases and odors. Both
have properties that allow them to adsorb gaseous materials.
What are the guarantees?
The motor, fan and other working parts come with a limited
lifetime warranty and a conditional 10 mechanical warranty.
What would cause a filter to fill up in less
time?
Having many pets, new carpeting, paint fumes, heavy smoking,
city pollution, etc
How long do you think my unit will
last?
The unit should last well over 10 years or more if properly
maintained. It is the filter that must be replaced when
needed.
Where should I place the unit for maximum
effectiveness?
It can be placed anywhere in a room, including corners.
Ideally close to an air intake vent. The air cleaner should
be placed in the bedroom at night with the door closed in
order to produce the best personal results. The best room in
the house to use a single machine is the bedroom.
How much space does the air cleaner effectively
clean?
It will clean an average bedroom in about 10 minutes with
the door closed. In technical terms, it cleans up to 1,600
square feet per hour. The Compact model cleans up to 700
square feet. (All estimates assume 8 ft. ceilings.)
Does the unit require any special maintenance?
Periodic (once a month) vacuuming of the front of the
pre-filter with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner
is the only regular maintenance required for the air cleaner.
How much electricity is required to run the air
cleaner?
Your Nutri-Tech uses an ordinary 120 volt outlet. Maximum
draw is about 135 watts on the high setting or 1 cent per
hour, average cost.
Your online guide to air purifiers: Learn the basics
before you buy
For most people, buying air purifiers is very confusing.
HEPA filters, negative ionizers, electrostatic
precipitators-- the terminology alone sounds like a foreign
language!
Not to worry though, we've broken down the whole,
convoluted world of air purifiers into one, straightforward
page covering the basics. From here, you can check out other
pages on aspects that interest you, or go straight to our air
purifier page for specific recommendations. Here we go!
Why air purifiers are needed
Air purifiers have become very widespread over the years due
to several factors. Over the last 20 years the number of
people with asthma has increased 100 times. It is also
estimated that now 1 out of every 3 adults and children have
either asthma or allergies. Why is this? Why has the EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) declared indoor air quality
as the nations worst environmental health problem? Why did
The American College of Allergies recently announce that 50%
of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted indoor
air?
The main reason is the insulation of homes and offices in
response to the energy crisis in the 1970s. To save on energy
costs, and for other reasons, indoor spaces are now tightly
insulated. These air-tight, energy-efficient indoor spaces
are perfect for trapping in all kinds of pollutants and
particles.
Our respiratory tracts struggle daily against the
contaminants that are in the air. Poor air quality causes
headaches, digestive problems, fatigue, restlessness,
congestion, and many other health problems. This is why there
is such a need for air purifiers in most indoor environments.
What air purifiers clean
Air purifiers attempt to eliminate or reduce a host of
airborne contaminants.
Here is a list of the most common elements that are found in
the air of most homes, schools, and offices:
Dust
Pollen
Animal Dander
Mold
Mildew
Dust Mites
Viruses
Bacteria
Tobacco Smoke
Chemicals
Germs
The sources of these pollutants are many. They include dust,
people, animals, carpet, plywood, mattresses, furniture,
cleaning products, aerosol, humidity, food, and insecticides.
Benefits of air purifiers
Good air purifiers will generally make an immediate
difference in the lives of most people. After using an air
purifier, many people report sleeping better, having more
energy, being more alert, being more creative, breathing
better, and just feeling better overall.
Technologies available in air purifiers
Due to advances in science and technology, there are now four
methods that are used in air cleaners. Most air purifiers use
more than one technology to better clean the air. Most of the
machines recommended in our air purifier reviews section,
utilize more than one of these:
1. HEPA - a
specially designed filter effective against many particles.
2. Ionic -
electronically charges particles causing them to attract to
collector plates or fall to the floor.
3. Ozone Generato
r - creates ozone, which seeks out contaminants.
4. Carbon
Filter - removes chemicals, fumes, and smoke.
We've created separate pages for each of these air
purifier technologies should you want more detailed
information. We suggest you check each of them out.
What to look for in an air purifier
OK. We know that air purifiers are necessary and we know why
we need them and what they can do. Now, we've assembled a
list of things to consider when searching for an air purifier
for your home or office.
1. Appropriate room size : Make sure the air
purifier can change the air several times an hour.
2. Air filtering efficiency: Obviously, you
want a air purifier that effectively cleans the air.
3. Air purification technology: Which of the
four technologies does the unit use.
4. Noise level: You want this to be as low
as possible, but realize some of the better air purifiers do
make noise. Quieter doesn't necessarily mean better.
5. Cost of replacement parts: Find out what
it costs to replace filters and other parts
.6. Electricity costs: Know how much it
costs to run an electronic air cleaner.
7. Warranty: Learn about the warranty
available for the unit you are considering.
8. Indicator lights for filter changes: Some
units have this, it's not necessary but is very
convenient
9. Separate filters: Does the unit have a
pre-filter to increase HEPA filter efficiency.
10. Size and look of the air purifier: Some
air purifiers are big and ugly, others are sleek and pleasing
to the eye.
Summary
Hopefully this page has given you a solid, helpful
introduction to air purifiers and what they can do. Everyday,
it seems many people and the medical community are becoming
increasingly aware of the need for clean air.
Whole home air purifiers may not be as effective and
convenient as portable room air cleaners
There are basically two different ways to go about cleaning
your air using an air purifier. You can either get a whole
home air purifier or a room air purifier (also called
portable). Home air purifiers are in one way or another tied
in with the current air conditioning/heating system already
present in your home. In contrast, room air purifiers are
stand-alone units that can be moved from room-to-room.
Home air purifiers are designed to clean the air over an
entire house or office. Most operate by having some type of
filter (i.e. activated carbon) over or inside the air vents.
As air is pushed in and out, the filters are designed to
remove particles.
There are several reasons why home air purifiers are not
always the most efficient method of purifying your air. The
filters commonly available do not clean the air as
efficiently as the HEPA filters in portable air purifiers.
Using a HEPA filter in a central ventilation system would
restrict the airflow to unacceptable levels.
Also, the current created by air conditioning/heating units
is not sufficiently strong enough to get the air cleaned and
back into the filter or unit. This does not apply to all
systems of course, but it does to many.
Another drawback with home air purifiers is the fact that
they can only remove particles 1 to 1.5 microns in size and
larger, and they do nothing to remove gases and odors. They
are not designed to remove the smaller particulates, which
tend to cause the most health problems.
Another consideration as far as cost in involved, most whole
home air purifiers require professional installation. This
can run anywhere between $200 and more depending on where you
live.
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