Are There Any Air Purifiers That Are Effective for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?
When folks consider air purifiers, their first thought generally has to do with allergies, and a lot of those are tough to manage. But for someone with multiple chemical sensitivities, the task of cleaning the air they breathe is much more complex even than that.
Multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS, develops when a person has had either a severe and rather sudden contact with poisonous chemicals, or else extended contact with something less extreme. So a big chemical spill from a neighboring train derailment may be an initial cause, while the problem could also result from something like long-term work with pungent cleaning supplies.
Once this sensitivity has been triggered, it spreads to include other irritants too. So the individual could then become sensitive to things like vehicle exhaust, the toner from printers, the smell of construction materials, second hand smoke, and so on. The sensitivity then starts to manifest itself in such symptoms as nausea, migraines, difficulty with breathing, and more. For some reason yet undiscovered, this type of condition affects more women than men, though it can take place 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 such as those with a HEPA filter, while they tend to work best for allergy-based concerns, would not be as beneficial for chemical sensitivities.
One effective system for dealing with chemicals is an activated carbon filter. This works at the molecular level, to transform gaseous chemical molecules into a solid form, and then trap them in the carbon. However, as the Allergy Consumer Review website notes, specific forms of carbon filters are better than others. The site recommends that buyers avoid purifiers that use carbon pads, or other low carbon filters. The Allergy Consumer Review also mentions that coconut-based carbon filters might bring about other allergies, and should also be avoided when possible.
Even a granular carbon filter can’t contend with every chemical; for instance, it doesn’t work with formaldehyde or hydrogen sulfide. So the best purifiers bring together activated carbon with a chemically active compound of aluminum oxide.
The next problem encountered by MCS sufferers is that the very chemicals they are so sensitive to are often what goes into producing the air purifiers themselves. Even the fan motors will need to be varnish free. And in the passageway the air takes as it passes through the purifier, it needs to pass the fan before it goes through the gas filter, instead of 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 generate.
It is tremendously difficult for somebody with MCS to find an air purifier that does not contain or generate the very chemicals it is supposed to help with. However the Allergy Consumer Review site does recommend the IQAir GC Series of purifiers as the best available option.
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.
