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Ionic air purifiers promise cleaner, fresher air, but I often get asked if they are truly safe.
While they can effectively reduce pollutants, these devices may also pose hidden risks that could outweigh their benefits.
As someone deeply familiar with air purification, I’ll break down the potential dangers of ionizers and what you need to know before bringing one into your home.
Key takeaways
Are ionic air purifiers safe to use in homes?
While ionic air purifiers can effectively remove airborne particles, they also produce ozone, which can be harmful to human health.
Ionizers release negatively charged ions into the air to clean and sterilize it, which can create potential health risks.
Related article: How air purifiers and ionizers are different
The good news is that air ionizer dangers are typically negligible. Negative ions occur naturally in the environment, produced by energy sources like sunshine, lightning, and waterfalls in a phenomenon called the Lenard Effect.
So, breathing in negative ions is safe.
However, the safety of air ionizers depends on how much ozone they create. If it’s just an ionizing device without an ozone generator, or it allows you to control the ozone production level, it’s generally safe to use.
ACLAB Note:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies ozone as a toxic gas that damages the lungs triggers asthma attacks, and even increases the risk of death. So ozone is something you don’t want to play around with.
Some ionizer air purifiers are ozone-generating air cleaners, so it’s essential to know how much ozone they produce, and what’s considered dangerous.
While nearly all ionizers create some level of ozone, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) keeps a continuous list of ozone generators that are wrongly marketed as "air purifiers" and pose a threat to consumers.
To understand how much ozone a device produces, we’ll look at the PPBs (parts per billion) produced. Different places throughout the world have different standards for ozone generators.
The EPA advises an ozone limit of 70 PPB. They note that this is below the threshold for what would be considered a health hazard, and it a good maximum limit to look for.
Are these standards rigid enough for devices that emit ozone? Here is how they stack up.
Related article: How to safely use air purifiers in your home
The advantages and disadvantages of ionic air purifiers
Benefits
Drawbacks
How do ionic air purifiers work?
Ionic air purifiers work by producing a constant stream of negatively charged ions into the air of your home.
These negative ions attach to nearby positively charged particles like airborne molecules (smoke, dander, dust).
These small particles batch together, causing them to be too heavy to be suspended in the air, so they fall.
The main difference between an ionizer air purifier and other types is that ionic models use these ions to remove airborne contaminants, while others have mechanical filtration. And ionic air cleaners emit ozone to get the job done.
Related article: Filterless air purifiers for home use
There are two main types of ionizer air purifiers:
Related article: Air purifier placement guide
Ozone side effects and dangers to human health
While these purifiers are certainly great for many purposes, the ozone they produce can cause some adverse effects on human health.
Even inhaling just a bit of ozone can be damaging to the lungs. The American Lung Association describes this as a "sunburn to your lungs."
The following are some of the side effects and conditions it can cause:
ACLAB Note:
If you feel any of these symptoms aggravate you when you turn on your ionic air purifiers, it is best to turn it off, and consult with a physician.
How to tell if your air purifier produces ozone
The best way to determine if your purifier produces ozone is through the manufacturer’s website or manual, but the following tips are also reliable:
FAQs
Do ionizers kill mold?
Ionizers can help kill mold spores. It’s not a sure thing, but air purifiers may help to clean the air and reduce mold exposure within your home.
Can ionic air cleaners get rid of cigarette smoke?
Ionic air cleaners can help get rid of tobacco smoke. They help remove tobacco smoke particles from the air and other types of smoke in general. A better option for removing cigarette smoke would be using a HEPA air purifier with an active carbon filter.
Related article: Air purifiers for removing VOCs
Is it safe to be in a room with ionic air cleaners?
Yes, it is generally safe to be in a room with ionic air cleaners, provided they meet safety standards and emit minimal or no ozone.
How do I know if my ionizer is working?
To know your ionizer is working you should first check to see if fluff and dust have been collected on the ionizer’s metal rods which produce ions. If it’s working, you’ll see this dust and fluff. You will also see pollutants collected in the “pollutant collector compartment.”
What are the types of air purifiers?
The types of air purifiers are:
Are HEPA filters better than ionizers?
HEPA purifiers are generally more effective than ionizers at improving air quality.
This is because a HEPA purifier uses mechanical filtration to physically capture particles and pollutants in the air, whereas ionizers rely on charged ions to attract particles, which may not always be effective in capturing all types of pollutants.
