Air ionizers are devices that use electric fields to charge particles in the air, such as dust, pollen, and smoke. They are often marketed as air purifiers, but they can also worsen asthma symptoms and increase the risk of respiratory infections. The effects of air ionizers on health can vary depending on the type of device used. Some common side effects include throat irritation, chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath.
In addition, ionizers can generate ozone as a by-product, which can worsen symptoms of asthma and other respiratory problems. Unfortunately, ionizers are ineffective in reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air. VOCs are considered indoor pollutants and can cause health problems. Air purifiers using HEPA filters are preferred to ionizers, since they effectively remove particles from the air without presenting any ozone hazard.
Ozone has chemical properties that allow it to react with organic materials both outside and inside the body, which has harmful health consequences. Ozone, if inhaled even in small quantities, can be harmful to the health of lung tissues. In addition, it can cause throat irritation, chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath. It can also worsen other chronic respiratory ailments such as asthma and, in addition, affect the body's ability to fight respiratory infections. When exposed to high amounts of ozone or continuously exposed to low amounts of ozone, not only people with respiratory problems, but also healthy people, suffer from shortness of breath.
Although recovering from the health effects of low ozone levels may be possible, it is quite difficult if the damage occurs due to regular exposure to large amounts of ozone. Users should understand that ozone is a toxic gas and can cause irrecoverable harm to health. Ozone, according to the EPA, can cause harmful health consequences such as chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. Chamber and field tests have found that an ionizing device led to a decrease in some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including xylenes, but to an increase in others, oxygenated VOCs more prominently. As more information is disseminated and presented to the public about the dangers of air ionizers, the more informed consumers will be before purchasing an air purifier. If you've come this far and digested all the information about air ionizers (whether they're marketed as ionic air purifiers or ionizers), you've probably already realized that most people shouldn't buy an air purifier with an ionizing function.
