Air ionizers are devices that release negatively charged particles into the air, which are then attracted and attached to positively charged particles. They can be installed in the ducts of most household air conditioning systems, or the same technology can be used in portable air purifiers. Ozone, a lung irritant, is produced indirectly by ion generators and some other electronic air filters and directly by ozone generators. Despite what some marketers say, there is no difference between the ozone present in outdoor pollution and the ozone produced by these devices. Under certain conditions of use, ion generators and other ozone-generating air filters can produce levels of this lung irritant considerably higher than levels considered harmful to human health.
The FDA may regulate as a medical device a small percentage of air purifiers that claim to have health benefits. The Food and Drug Administration has set a limit of 0.05 parts per million of ozone for medical devices. While ozone can be used to reduce odors and contaminants in unoccupied spaces (for example, to remove the smell of smoke from homes affected by fires), the levels needed to achieve this are above those generally considered safe for humans. Ionizers are turned on for 8 hours every day, and I have a Therapure TPP300D with UV+ ionizer that is on for 8 hours in my living room. Ultimately, both the ionizer and the HEPA filter work together to remove particles floating in the air.
The results presented here indicate that there was no significant reduction in indoor air pollutant levels through air purification, and no changes were observed in the lung function of the study subjects. I professionally purchased and installed IWAVE ionizer systems for the upper and lower floor air conditioning systems. The relationships between indoor concentrations of air pollutants and pulmonary function test parameters were analyzed using a mixed-effects model after adjusting the subjects' air temperature, humidity and body mass index. So, what is the limit of air ionizers that can be installed in one home or building? The answer is yes - there is a limit. The FDA has set a limit of 0.05 parts per million of ozone for medical devices, so it is important to ensure that any air ionizers installed do not exceed this limit. Additionally, it is important to consider how many ionizers are necessary for a given space - too many may not be necessary or beneficial.
