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Some Air Purifiers May Produce Dangerous Levels of Ozone |
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WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA, Jan. 27 -/E-Wire/-- The International Association of Air Cleaner Manufacturers (IAACM) announced today that independent laboratory test results indicate that some popular indoor air purifiers may produce unsafe levels of ozone. Ozone, the main component of smog, is a known lung irritant and asthma trigger. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the legal production of ozone in indoor appliances to 50 ppb and 0 ppb in hospitals. The American Lung Association believes there is no safe amount of ozone production from indoor air purifiers.
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The IAACM commissioned the testing after noticing a troubling pattern – ozone producing air purifiers were being heavily marketed to individuals with asthma and other respiratory problems.
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Ten models of popular selling air purifiers were purchased on the open market by an accredited U.S. testing laboratory. The air purifiers were then subjected to the UL 867, Section 37, Ozone Test for Electrostatic Air Cleaners. This is the test that determines the level of ozone production by an indoor air purifier appliance.
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"The test results we were given by the lab indicate 5 of the 10 popular selling air purifiers fail their UL 867, Section 37, ozone test," says Glory Dolphin, Executive Director of the IAACM. "What is more troubling is that not only did ozone generators fail the test, two ionizing air cleaners also failed. Ionizing air purifiers often claim in their advertising that they are not ozone generators. 9 of the 10 air purifiers tested produced peak ozone concentrations far above the legal limit."
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Only the HEPA air purifier tested was found to produce no ozone at all. HEPA air purifiers are recommended by the American Lung Association and the IAACM as the air purifier technology of choice because they do not produce any ozone.
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The IAACM is making air purifier ozone test kits available to consumers free of charge, so that they can test their air purifiers for ozone production. To get a free test kit, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
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IAACM P.O. Box 9048 Whittier, CA 90608-9048
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About the IAACM
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The International Association of Air Cleaner Manufacturers (IAACM) is a not-for-profit trade association representing manufacturers of air purifiers and air cleaners, suppliers to the industry, retailers, distributors and wholesalers. It is organized as a non-profit, 501(c)(6) trade association in California. The IAACM was formed as an industry organization with the purpose of promoting effective air cleaning for the benefit of the general public.
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