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QUESTION:I was wondering if anyone has had success with controlling allergies
by various air filters or air purifiers. We think that my wife's
allegies are related to the air in the house and wonder what the best
approach is.
I hear on the radio a lot a furnace filter that is supposed to work
You access it by 1-800-ALLERGY. Has any one heard if it really works?
What about a system called ALPINE? Any reviews of that.
ANSWER: Here are some observations on purifiers and filters, and in particular
those put out by Alpine, mentioned by Jeff, and another company
Electrocorp.
[Apologies to those who already saw some of this in an article
I posted in response to a query about pet odors and dander...]
First, an approach that's definitely worth considering is negative
ionization. There's a fair body of evidence that an environment
high in negative ions can afford relief to many sufferers of asthma
and allergies. Two hospitals in Philadelphia have found, for
example, that 63% of their asthma and allergy patients get partial
or even total relief with negative ions.
There are ionizers around, but two in particular stand out
technologically.
First, there's a California company, Electrocorp, that manufactures
a high quality unit which generates a massive 4.5 million
negative ions per cubic centimeter (measured one meter from the
unit); it can treat up to 900 square feet of space. For sheer
output this unit has no competition. For an asthma/allergy sufferer
there's a lot to be said for really high negative ion levels, and
there's no known harmful side-effect at all.
Secondly, there's a remarkable range of air-purifiers (and they are
purifiers, not filters) manufactured by a company in Minnesota,
Alpine, which uses a new technology, including a pulsed negative ion
generator and ozone, to render indoor air the same as mountain air.
I've tried these and I know from experience that they really do
produce extremely clean air. Amongst other things these purifiers kill
mold, mildew, odors and chemical pollution (including all that stuff
that emanates from the plastics and formaldehydes that are used in so
many things these days, like furniture, particle board etc.), and also
many bacteria. They are also very effective against pet odors and
dander (as I know from direct experience, having a large dog).
Alpines are used in many veterinary centers, science laboratories,
chemical industries, hotels, bars etc. - public places where odor or
pollution or is a problem, or where closed- system 'air-conditioning'
creates really 'dead' [high positive-ion] conditions. (They are also
great in boats, BTW, where engine fumes are often a problem, and some
of the big passenger liners are beginning to use them.)
They are also very effective for creating clean air conditions
domestically. (One of their units is made with personal living space
or office space very much in mind.) The air in our house is certainly
noticeably clean and fresh thanks to our Alpine, and on the level of
personal experience I have used it in a friend's house which is an old
building that smells old and dank, and it started to clean the place
up very noticeably even within ten minutes (her elderly husband, who
had been awake coughing for three nights, slept for the first time
that night); a friend who restores old houses and works extensively
with powerful solvents and chemicals (and had a persistent chest
condition whenever he did so) found that even the domestic Alpine gave
him almost completely clean air (it knocked the chemicals out of the
air); another friend treated a room that reeked of cat pee etc. etc.
And in fact, a number of people who have suffered from severe
allergies and asthma have reported that this air-purifier has afforded
them great relief.
I might add that I have an Electrocorp desk model ionizer permanently
on in my office, and we have Alpine and Electrocorp machines running
in combination at home with great success....
I could say more, but this is enough, I think. The key factor with
these purifiers is that a) they are not filtering the air - filters
may well remove '98%' of particulates from the air, but what they
don't go on to say is that the remaining 2% of particulates are the
really tiny ones that are the most toxic and damaging, and this is
where the powerful -ionizers like the Electrocorp or the purifiers
like the Alpines come in, b) they are not masking the problem, they
are actually treating it electro- chemically.
At this point a non-disclaimer is in order: I was introduced to the
Electrocorp and Alpine purifiers by a friend who is a professor of
environmental sciences. The companies distribute through independent
distributors, not retail outlets, and after we had tried them and been
impressed I signed up with both companies as a distributor. (As a
sideline from my academic work I maintain a research and consultancy
interest in the field of health and environment products,
concentrating on small high-quality companies that have significant
products to offer but are as yet little known.) So I'm not going to
pretend to disinterest; on the other hand I signed up as a distributor
because I found these purifierss to be impressive, with the potential
to make an important contribution to our health, and I can provide
information for anyone who is interested (and arrange purchase of a
product that otherwise is difficult to get hold of). I should also be
able to arrange a discount off the usual retail price. Just drop me a
note if you'd like more details. (I also have a number of interesting
articles on negative ionization, particulates, chemical pollution etc.)
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