Coronavirus and Air Cleaners, Air Purifiers, HVAC Filters: EPA, Consumer Reports, RollingStone

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Tue Dec 21, 2021, 04:28 PM - Edit history (2)

- *Nov. 2, 2020. 'Consumer Reports: Can air purifiers kill COVID-19 in your home?' With all of the talk about the virus & droplets in the air, you may have wondered whether air purifiers might help. So, Consumer Reports took a look at purifiers to see if they might really make a difference in your home.
_____

- EPA: 'Air Cleaners, HVAC Filters, and Coronavirus (COVID-19).'

- Air Cleaners: Portable air cleaners may be particularly helpful when additional ventilation with outdoor air is not possible without compromising indoor comfort (temperature or humidity), or when outdoor air pollution is high. - Caution: The use of air cleaners alone cannot ensure adequate indoor air quality, particularly where significant pollutant sources are present and ventilation is insufficient. Read EPA’s “Guide to air cleaners in the home" (PDF). When used properly, air cleaners and HVAC filters can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a building or small space.

By itself, air cleaning or filtration is not enough to protect people from COVID-19. When used along with other best practices recommended by CDC and other public health agencies, including social distancing and mask wearing, filtration can be part of a plan to reduce the potential for airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors. Air cleaners and HVAC filters are designed to filter pollutants or contaminants out of the air that passes thru them. Air cleaning and filtration can help reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses. Portable air cleaners (also known as air purifiers) may be particularly helpful when additional ventilation with outdoor air is not possible without compromising indoor comfort (temperature or humidity), or when outdoor air pollution is high.

In order for an air cleaner to be effective in removing viruses from the air, it must be able to remove small airborne particles (in the size range of 0.1-1 um). Manufacturers report this capability in several ways. In some cases, they may indicate particle removal efficiency for specific particle sizes (e.g. “removes 99.9% of particles as small as 0.3 um”). Many manufacturers use the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) rating system to rate air cleaner performance. Others indicate they use High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.
In order to select an air cleaner that effectively filters viruses from the air, choose: 1) a unit that is the right size for the space you will be using it in (this is typically indicated by the manufacturer in square feet), 2) a unit that has a high CADR for smoke (vs. pollen or dust), is designated a HEPA unit, or specifically indicates that it filters particles in the 0.1-1 um size range...https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/air-cleaners-hvac-filters-and-coronavirus-covid-19
_____________

- Consumer Reports: 'What You Need to Know About Air Purifiers and the Coronavirus.' One of these devices might help if someone at home is sick, but only if you use it correctly. *Updated May 5, 2020.

Running an air purifier at home can be a good idea anytime, to help filter out indoor allergens and pollutants like fumes from cooking and cleaning products. And that's especially true now, when so many people are stuck indoors 24/7 because of the coronavirus pandemic. But you may also be wondering if an air purifier can prevent COVID-19 by capturing virus particles that could be traveling in the air.

We spoke with air quality and virology experts, and asked CR's own experts to weigh in. The consensus is that while air purifiers probably don't offer much protection in most circumstances, they may be worthwhile in a few specific ones. If someone in your household is sick with COVID-19, running an air purifier in their quarantine room may help protect other family members or caregivers. The same goes for healthcare workers who are self-quarantining when they come home. - MORE ON AIR PURIFIERS AND THE CORONAVIRUS...
https://www.consumerreports.org/air-purifiers/what-to-know-about-air-purifiers-and-coronavirus-a1061668554/
______
- RollingStone Recommends: 'The Best HEPA Air Purifiers for Smoke, Germs and Viruses.' Nov. 24, 2021. Here’s why people are stocking up on these high-powered purifiers for their coronavirus prevention kits,
https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/electronics/best-hepa-air-purifier-reviews-1086229/
______





- Blueair Classic 605 Air Purifier. High rating from Consumer Reports. On sale recently, $300-500 off.

https://www.allergybuyersclub.com/blueair-classic-605-air-purifier.html