When people consider air purifiers, their first thought typically has to do with allergies, and a number of those are difficult to manage. However for someone with multiple chemical sensitivities, the task of cleaning the air they breathe is a lot more complex even than that.

Multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS, arises when a person has had either a severe and fairly unexpected contact with toxic chemicals, or else prolonged exposure to something less extreme. So a big chemical spill from a nearby train derailment may be an initial cause, while the illness could also develop from something like continued work with strong cleaning supplies.

Once this sensitivity has been activated, it spreads to include other irritants as well. So the individual could then become sensitive to things like paint fumes, the smells from new furniture and off-gassing from carpets. The sensitivity then begins to manifest itself in such symptoms as nausea, migraines, difficulty with breathing, and more. For some reason yet undiscovered, this kind of condition affects more women than men, though it can transpire for both.

The thing to remember when hunting for an air purifier to help with MCS is that it primarily has to have the ability to grab those annoying chemicals out of the air. So purifiers like those with a HEPA filter, while they are likely to work best for allergy-based concerns, would not be as helpful for chemical sensitivities.

One effective system for dealing with chemicals is an activated carbon filter. This works at the molecular level, to alter gaseous chemical molecules into a solid form, and then catch them in the carbon. But as the Allergy Consumer Review website notes, specific types of carbon filters are more effective than others. The type that appears to work best seems to be the granular kind. The Allergy Consumer Review also notes that coconut-based carbon filters might set off other allergies, and must also be avoided when possible.

Even a granular carbon filter cannot contend with every chemical; for instance, it does not work with formaldehyde or hydrogen sulfide. So the best purifiers mix activated carbon with a chemically active compound of aluminum oxide.

The next concern faced by MCS sufferers is that the very chemicals they’re so sensitive to are often what goes into production of the air purifiers themselves. Even the fan motors have to be varnish free. And in the path the air takes as it passes through the purifier, it needs to pass the fan before it passes through the gas filter, rather than the other way around. If the fan is placed first, then the filter can still do away with the chemicals that it and the motor produce.

It’s extremely hard for somebody with MCS to find an air purifier that does not contain or produce the very chemicals it’s supposed to help with. But the Allergy Consumer Review site does suggest the IQAir GC Series of purifiers as the best available choice.

There are different technologies available in air cleaners these days, from ionic air purifiers to the UV air purifier. Learn how to get the the right model for your needs at Home Air Purifiers: The Facts.

Technorati Tags: , , ,