This type of air purifier can protect you from LA Wildfire smoke

Wildfires currently raging near Los Angeles the most destructive in the region’s historyit has so far resulted in five deaths and forced the evacuation of at least 130,000 residents. About 17 million residents are currently under a smoking adviceIssued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, in effect through Thursday. Many areas of Southern California may continue to experience poor air quality for weeks.

Wildfire smoke poses a respiratory hazard to both healthy people and people with existing respiratory problems. Although the population living near the fires is at the highest risk, depending on how the wind blows, there may be effects felt by people living further away. Whether you’re currently experiencing poor air quality due to the LA wildfires or live in a wildfire-prone area, air purifiers are one way to address air quality issues.

Air purifiers, sometimes referred to as air purifiers, are designed to remove polluting particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and most importantly, smoke. Although manufacturers are not allowed to sell these devices as health products in the United States, our practical tests Some of them have been shown to be effective at filtering out harmful substances in the air — especially when they use a HEPA filter. Here’s how they work and what to look out for when shopping the best air purifier. You should be sure too the air cleaner is in the right place and does clean to ensure proper operation.

What do air purifiers do?

At their most basic function, portable air purifiers and air filters remove pollutants from the air around you and in your home. Indoor air pollutants fall into two main categories:

• Particulates: Biological contaminants such as mold spores, dust mites, bacteria, pet dander, viruses, and smoke.
• Gaseous pollutants: pollutants such as paints, varnishes, adhesives and pesticides. Particularly dangerous gaseous pollutants, sometimes called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are often man-made and highly toxic, damaging the liver, kidneys or central nervous system, as well as causing certain cancers or memory and vision impairment. issues.

Ideally, you would take steps to avoid introducing these airborne particles in the first place, but in situations like wildfires, this is out of your control and you must take steps to prevent adverse health effects.

How does an air purifier work?

Air purifiers remove pollutants, particles, and gases from the air using one of three general methods: filtration, electrostatic precipitation, and ionization. Note that EPA warns of ozone hazard created by some electrostatic and ionizing air purifiers, and some states, such as California, even restrict the sale of ozone-producing air purifiers. Experts agree that using filter-based air purifiers is healthier and more effective than ozone generators, so this is the method we will focus on in this article.

The most effective form of air filtration — and probably the one you’ve heard the most about — is a HEPA filter designed for high efficiency particle absorption. These corrugated mechanical air filters draw air from your home and filter it with a circulating fan. As the air passes through the filters, any pollutants or particles are trapped in the filter and then the clean air is pushed back, so you have clean air to breathe.

This type of air filter is said to remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles from the air. HEPA filters work better than standard air filters because they are designed to trap finer particles and thoroughly clean the air.

In addition to using an air filter, you can keep your indoor air clean by vacuuming regularly, not smoking indoors, and letting fresh air in on nice days. Make sure you also change your air purifier’s filters regularly to ensure they are cleaning effectively.

How to buy an air purifier?

Air purifiers range in price from $100 to $1,000. The price difference usually depends on how much air (how many cubic feet) the device can thoroughly clean. Most models are designed to sit on the floor, but you can find tabletop models and even wall-mounted designs for air filtration in your home.

When it comes to buying a portable air purifier, this EPA suggests you base your decision on the size of the room where you will be using the air purifier. This means that you should read the product descriptions carefully to make sure you get an air filtration system that is large enough for your location. Larger models will cost more and use more energy, but you need to make sure your air is properly filtered.

There are several ways to make sure you choose a good air purifier. You may see the abbreviation for clean air delivery rate (CADR) on the air cleaner packaging. This value is a measure of how quickly the air purifier can deliver clean air to your space. The higher the CADR, the faster air pollutants are removed, although some manufacturers suggest that this laboratory test method does not accurately simulate how air filtration would perform in the average home.

Air cleaners and HVAC filters are also rated on a minimum efficiency reporting value scale, where the lowest rating is 1 and the highest is 20. HEPA filters have a rating of 17 to 20. California Air Resources Board (CARB) MERV recommends at least 13 points on the scale for smoke reduction. If you’re in the market for an air purifier, look for a higher score on this scale if you want to reduce serious respiratory problems like asthma and allergies and fire smoke.

CNET has tested many air purifiers over the years. If wildfire smoke is currently affecting your home or you live in a wildfire-prone area, consider buying one of the air purifiers tested to improve indoor air quality until outdoor air quality improves.

While the devastation of wildfires can be devastating, there are many steps you can take to protect yourself, your home, and your loved ones. Here are some additional resources: