Air purifiers are nifty devices that improve the quality of air that you breathe in. They do so by removing harmful particulate matter and neutralizing air pollutants in an effective manner.
Amongst the indoor pollutants, dust is perhaps the most overlooked one. Dust buildup and airborne dust can actually prove harmful to your health and to the health of your loved ones.
With the rising global warming and increasing dust levels, one might think, do air purifiers reduce dust?
Yes, air purifiers are very efficient in removing dust from the air as almost all air purifiers feature a HEPA filter. According to studies, a HEPA filter can filter out 99.97% of dust, among other airborne harmful particles. Based on the MERV rating, manufacturers brand their filters as Medical-Grade HEPA filter, true HEPA, or a BioGS HEPA, among other such names.
Should you worry about dust?
Definitely! dust is the top irritant and is one of the most common airborne allergens. According to researchers, dust mite allergies can trigger asthma attacks and can worsen eczema. A powerful air purifier for dust can keep you safe from dust allergies while also helping people with asthma live a more fulfilling life.
Air Purifiers for dust just don’t purify, they also sanitize the air contaminants, canceling out their adverse health effects in the process. Purifying and sanitizing the air are different concepts. Many air purifiers are designed to just collect dust particles, but the accumulation of dust can promote microbes growth that may lead to certain health conditions.
Mechanical Filtration vs. Electronic Filtration
Collecting dust particles by trapping them is the mechanical way of filtration. In this, the dust particles get trapped in the filter as the air is forced through them, and the filtered air passes out from it. Most of the mechanical filters are HEPA air purifier filters which can filter up to 99.97% of particulate matter from the air. This makes them high-efficiency particulate air filters.
Electronic filtration uses an electrostatic charge to attract and neutralize air-borne pollutants to improve the overall indoor air quality. HEPA air purification takes care of most dust, pollen, pet dander, and other airborne particulates as it can filter particles measuring even 0.3 microns. This fine size is perfect to filter out the dust particles, but if there are airborne chemicals, another layer of activated carbon filters and electronic filtration may be needed to ensure clean air delivery.
Not all dust is the same, in order to select the right filter for dust, ascertaining the sources of dust is a requirement. Common household dust is a little different from construction dust and can have different effects on health.
Do Air Purifiers Get Rid of Dust Mites?
Yes, air purifiers reduce dust particles and dust mites by their HEPA- high-efficiency particulate air filters. Dust mites eat dust particles and reducing the number of dust particles automatically reduces the dust mite levels.
Microscopic particles are filtered out of the air before they can pile up. To ensure that indoor spaces stay clear of dust and the air delivery rate of the purifier is not affected, periodically cleaning and changing the filters is recommended.
Are Dust Mites Dangerous?
Yes, dust mites can be the cause of your year-round allergies. Sneezing, watery eyes, stuffy nose, and itchy skin are all symptoms of dust mite allergy. A dust mite is an eight-legged arthropod that measures one-third of a millimeter and feeds on dust. They thrive in the 68-77 degree Fahrenheit temperature range and have multiple species.
Although dust mites can die when exposed to high temperatures or low humidity levels, their corpses can cause allergies. Dust mites also feed on tiny flakes of human skin that the body sheds. These can be scattered around the house unconsciously and dust mites thrive on them. An average person sheds up to 1.5 grams of dead skin cells each day, which is enough to feed one million dust mites!
Air Purifier For Construction Dust
Because of the densely polluted air, air purifiers have become a necessity. To counter the effects of dust and other pollutants, selecting the right one is necessary. Construction dust is different from household dust and can trigger a different allergic reaction as well. Moreover, a simple HEPA filter will not be sufficient to deal with the different types of air pollutants found around a construction site.
For construction sites, a mix of different techniques like HEPA filtration, active carbon filter, UV treatment, and the ionizing method may be required to deal with the harmful chemicals, VOCs, fine dust, and for effective odor control. Electrostatic air purifiers usually employ all these techniques and are best suited for use in heavy dust areas like any construction sites or around factories.
MERV 10-16 HEPA filters in industrial air purifiers can effectively filter the air around construction sites. The frequency of cleaning and maintenance requirements for these is usually higher for these air purifiers as they are working in highly polluted areas. They have to work more efficiently than simple HEPA air purifiers.
The purifiers use high voltage electrostatic charge on the dust particles and other air contaminants so they stick to the surface then the purifier decomposes the particles and exposes them to UV light to ensure that harmful bacteria and viruses are dealt with on the collection side of the filter with ease.
Air changes per hour can be changed for these air purifiers and they usually have an advanced air quality sensor to detect fine airborne pollutants.
Best Air Purifiers For Moderate Dust
All construction sites are different, if the air is not highly polluted then the WEN 3410 3-speed remote-controlled air purifier would be the best option. There are other notable ones too that can filter out most construction dust and pollutants like tobacco smoke, organic materials, pet hair fibers, animal dander, or VOCs.
These include:
- InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier
- Coway AP-1512HH Mighty
- Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier
Best Commercial-Grade Air Purifiers for Construction Dust
Commercial-grade air purifiers can filter air at a much higher rate and have the option of hooking up ducts to the purifier.
The best ones include:
- BlueDri BD-AS-550-BL Negative Machine
- ALORAIR CleanShield HEPA 550 Air Purifier
- XPOWER X-2580 Professional
BlueDri BD-AS-550-BL Negative Machine
The BlueDri BD-AS-550-BL Negative Machine is a rugged air purifier that can even handle the air around a hazardous construction zone. Like every other air purifier, it can remove dust particles, harmful smoke, and airborne debris and has a sturdy build to withstand continuous wear and tear. Pre-filter, carbon filter, and HEPA filter combination can filter 99.97% of particles having sizes greater than 0.3 microns.
ALORAIR PureAiro HEPA Max 770 Air Purifier
ALORAIR CleanShield HEPA 550 Air Purifier is a high-efficiency particulate air purifier that has industrial-grade filters. This purifier is mainly for the construction site and is heavy, at 38 lbs. The high noise and unusual weight make it unsuitable for home or any small place, but a perfect match for treating construction dust as it can provide 270-550 CFM and has optional ducting. It has many features like the circuit breaker and the filter change indicator that tells you on time when the filters need to be changed.
XPOWER X-2580 Professional
XPOWER X-2580 Professional a 4-stage HEPA air purifier that will filter out airborne particles at an excellent rate. The commercial-grade motorized operation produces up to 550 CFM of clean air. Even at maxed-out settings, the X-2580 only draws 2.8 amps, making it one of the most efficient commercial air purifiers out there.
The pre-filter takes care of the large-sized debris before the fine particles are filtered by the HEPA filter. There is an activated carbon filter to deal with the odors and VOCs. The speeds can be adjusted to reduce the noise as the speedy operation comes at the cost of a louder noise. The design is great and features a 13-foot extension cord that can easily be wrapped up and looks neat.
Conclusion
Dust and dust mites can be the underlying cause behind your ill health and allergies. Dust can even aggravate asthma symptoms, making dust removal necessary. The best air purifiers can filter out even construction dust, among other microscopic specks, helping allergy sufferers and asthma sufferers get some relief and can help improve the quality of life.
