Air purifiers come in a variety of forms. One such type is the silent ionic air purifier.

Brief History of Ionic Purifier Development

1974 saw research emanating from the Swiss Meteorological Institute on why it was that people were negatively affected (e.g. headaches, depression, heart attacks) by various trade winds around the earth. Known winds such as the Sirocco in Italy, the Mistral in France, the Sharav in the Middle East and the Foehn in Switzerland were examined.

What came out of these studies was one common factor in all cases was the prevalence of a super high concentration of positively charged ions in the winds. Areas of recent rainfall or close to a waterfall were also found to contain largely negatively charged air-borne particles. Whilst positive ions detracted from a person’s health, negative ions promoted health, benefits (e.g. increased plant and animal growth, improved animal relaxation and alertness) were seen above 1000 negative ions per cubic centimeter of air.

How modern Ionizing Air Purifiers Function

Ionizing air purifiers are commonly purchased due to them not releasing any chemicals into the atmosphere, low energy usage, no replacement filters being required, and a very low level of operating noise generated.

PHI Cell ionizers are in particular very effective modern air purifiers able to create large quantities of negative ions whilst emitting almost zero ozone. This technology supersedes HEPA air purifiers in that it is able to remove particles as small as 0.001 microns, the size of various pesticides, herbicides and many viruses.

Gasses (e.g. carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide) are typically what cause the majority of bad odors, these air purifiers are very efficient at removing this type of pollutant, alongside the larger dust particles, pollen and so on.

Recent studies suggest that living in a city with major air pollution can have detrimental consequences on cardiovascular disease. Many hospital admissions are the result of the fine particulate matter present in the air, causing decreased blood flow, which leads to heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI).

A recent German study shows that breathing heavy traffic exhaust increases the risk of hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, which increases your risk for heart attacks.  Often, when people jog during peak traffic periods, they are not doing their hearts any big favors.  While jogging is good for the heart, breathing in car fumes is not, yet people don’t take this into consideration when trying to keep fit.

Participating in outdoor activities when air pollution is high results in decreased blood flow to the heart due to the need for deeper and faster breathing.  This can set off cardiac arrhythmia, as well as a heart attack and possibly sudden death. Additionally, people stricken with heart disease, such as angina, are susceptible to the wiles of air pollution. Angina, caused by decreased blood flow to the heart, is greatly exacerbated by the presence of air pollution, further decreasing the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients the heart needs to function properly.

Why is air pollution so harmful?  The air you breathe goes into the lungs and oxygenates the blood that circulates to the heart.  The blood then travels to the heart where it is pumped out to the rest of the body.  Just as the saying goes “we are what we eat”, applies just as well with “we are what we breathe”.  what goes in does not always come out, so it sits in the body disrupting normal functioning.  If your heart is not performing normally in the first place, air pollution will have a negative impact your heart’s ability to carry out the work of supplying the body with needed oxygen and nutrients.

You can prevent the negative affects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system by staying indoors when pollution levels are high.  If you must go outside, avoid exerting too much physical effort, as the harder you breathe, the more polluted air you will inhale into your lungs and this will have a direct effect on your heart. On a more positive note, when air quality shows signs of improvement, the effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system is diminished for those who are in healthy condition.