Copyright 2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. Yonkers, NY 10703-1057, a nonprofit organization. Reprinted with permission from the December 2007 issue of CONSUMER REPORTS® for educational purposes only. The information and images posted here are protected by the copyright laws. Reproduction, downloading, redistributing, or retransmitting without our written permission is prohibited. www.ConsumerReports.org. AIR PURIFIERS Filtering the claims

Most people buy air purifiers to ease generators,” on the facing page.) The FDA, or . But despite prod- though, doesn’t consider air purifiers a uct claims, there’s little definitive med- medical device. And the emissions ical evidence that purifiers help relieve of home air purifiers aren’t regulated by respiratory symptoms. Some may pose any federal agency. But as we went to a threat even to healthy users. press, California banned ozone genera- Electrostatic precipitators are the most tors for most uses, effective 2010. heavily promoted purifiers, accounting for Air purifiers that draw air through fab- about half of the models sold. Oreck and ric filters are among those that do the best Sharper Image versions are best sellers, job of removing and smoke from the despite their lackluster air-cleaning air without producing any ozone. Top- performance in our tests. Electrostatic KEEP IT CLEAN Our long-term tests show rated models such as the Whirlpool that you need to follow recommended precipitators trap particles by applying an Whispure, $230, performed better at their maintenance to sustain peak performance. electrical charge to them as they pass lowest, quietest speeds than many others through the unit and depositing them on did at their higher, noisier settings. But plates or filters.The process creates some They create large amounts of ozone by simple steps such as those mentioned in ozone as a byproduct. design and claim to use it to purify the air. First Things First could improve air qual- While ozone in the upper atmosphere We rated two such models Not Acceptable ity enough so that you don’t need a puri- protects us from the sun’s rays, because in our latest tests they reached fier. Other findings and issues: ground-level ozone is an irritant that can up to 20 times the voluntary ozone stan- Ozone is a growing concern. No aggravate asthma and lessen lung function. dard based on the limit set by the U.S. standard exists for acceptable indoor Another type of purifier, ozone gener- Food and Drug Administration for med- ozone levels generated by a nonmedical ators, are a growing part of the market. ical devices. (See “Not Acceptable: Ozone device. Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

First things first. Air purifiers alone won’t clean the air or relieve asthma or symptoms.

TRY THESE STEPS FILTERS ELECTROSTATIC Basic steps can be more effective than air Best for trapping dust, PRECIPITATORS purifiers, according to experts, including the , and smoke without Best for low operating costs. Some U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and emitting ozone, an irritant. do a fine job of removing dust, the American Lung Association. Less expen- But effectiveness varies pollen, and smoke. sive options include: considerably among But all create some ozone, which • Banning indoor smoking models. They typically cost can aggravate asthma and • Keeping pets out of bedrooms more per year for both decrease lung function. Models • Removing carpeting and other electricity and replacement filters. Portable with small fans or no fans are dust-mite harbors models tend to be noisy at high speeds, ineffective at removing dust and smoke. and do-it-yourself whole-house • Opening windows whenever possible Models with a can be noisy at high filters were fair at best for smoke removal. speeds. Models with plates need more • Using outdoor-venting fans in the maintenance than filters. bathroom and kitchen How they work A fan pulls air through a • Maintaining heating equipment filter. Portable models typically use high- How they work An electrical charge is efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters; applied to the particles drawn into the For more simple ideas, go to www.Consumer whole-house units use pleated fabric filters device. Then the particles are captured Reports.org/aircleaning. Avoid ozone gen- and are attached to forced-air systems. onto flat plates or filters. erators, which emit hazardous levels of ozone. They should be used only by profes- Price $100 to $800 for portables; $10 to Price $250 to $800 for portables; $400 to sionals after serious contamination from a $30 for better DIY whole-house filters; $1,150 for professionally installed whole- fire or flood, not for routine air cleaning. $200 to $500 for whole-house systems house models (plus $200 or more for (plus $200 or more for installation). installation).

48 CONSUMER REPORTS &Z DECEMBER 2007 • Expert • Independent • Nonprofit Not Acceptable certifies electrostatic precipitators using dustry and consumer groups, including Ozone generators the FDA limit of 50 parts per billion. But Consumers Union, the nonprofit pub- Makers of ozone generators often target that limit is under scrutiny. lisher of CONSUMER REPORTS, search for a home users with claims that the devices “Fifty parts per billion is by no means better way to measure the ozone some reduce such as dust, smoke, universally accepted in the scientific com- purifiers emit.“You can get any results pollen, germs, and using “highly munity as being a low enough benchmark you want depending on how you run the activated ” or “super oxide ions,” for ozone,” says Richard Shaughnessy, current UL test,” says Shaughnessy,who is leaving the fresh scents of thunder- Ph.D., director of the University of Tulsa’s on the committee revising the standard. storms and waterfalls in their place. Two Indoor Air Research Program and the au- In the past we used the UL ozone test, companies, Biotech Research and Eco- thor of an analysis prepared for the among others. But because of concerns Quest, go much further in their ads. The $850 EcoQuest Fresh Air uses Consumer Product Safety Commission on about the UL approach, we tested ozone- “exclusive ‘Space Certified’ ” technology research pertaining to the current limit.A producing purifiers using our own test in “used to scrub the air inside spacecraft,” recent study of outdoor air in 98 urban an airtight, unfurnished room.While that ads say. BioTech Research says its $230 areas, led by Michelle L. Bell, assistant won’t exactly reproduce the levels in your EdenPure Area’s technology is “used by professor of environmental health at Yale home, given the increasing concerns the federal government to purify air in University,indicated that even low levels about even low levels of ozone, it’s useful the Space Shuttle and the International of ground-level ozone were associated to have this worst-case scenario of ozone Space Station.” And ABC Radio broad- with increased risk of premature death. buildup in a room. caster Paul Harvey, who claims to use the Ozone has other risks. Studies in- EdenPure, describes it as “the best air purifier ever created by the hand of man” creasingly suggest that ozone creates IF YOU BUY AN AIR PURIFIER in an ad. other irritants as it reacts with household Consumers Union continues to urge But our tests found that even at the products such as scented cleaners and air the CPSC to set indoor ozone limits for all generators’ low everyday settings, their fresheners. Among these irritants are air purifiers and mandate performance ozone production quickly exceeded the formaldehyde, a carcinogen; acrolein, a tests and labels disclosing the results. CU 50 parts per billion (ppb) FDA limit for toxic irritant found in cigarette smoke; also urges the Federal Trade Commission medical devices. Purifiers aren’t consid- and ultrafine particles. “Picture ultrafine to investigate air-purifier ads to determine ered medical devices by the FDA. Ozone particle behavior the way you see ciga- the validity of health-related claims. If concentrations in our test room meas- ured about 650 to 990 ppb for the rette smoke behave in a lighted room,” you’re set on buying one, keep these EdenPure, depending on the setting. The says Charles J. Weschler, Ph.D., a re- points in mind: EcoQuest produced about 110 to 350 ppb searcher at the University of Medicine Consider whole-house models. at its normal and high settings and up to and Dentistry of New Jersey.“They hang Forced-air heating/cooling systems circu- 4,300 ppb at its “away” settings, which in the air for a long time. The concern is late so much air that they can overwhelm the company says to use only when you how easily the ultrafine particles are in- portable purifiers.Whole-house purifiers and your pets aren’t home. haled before they can settle.” are a better option. Better products range The U.S. Environmental Protection Germ-cleaning claims are oversold. from $10 to $30 for do-it-yourself filters to Agency warns that relatively low levels of ozone can cause chest pain and short- Many air purifiers claim to rid your home $1,000-plus systems that have to be in- ness of breath. Ozone may also worsen of airborne and viruses in addi- stalled by a pro.The latter are more effec- asthma and compromise the ability of tion to dust, pollen, and smoke. We ran tive at removing dust and smoke. DIY the body to fight respiratory infections. tests on five portable air purifiers that furnace filters do nearly as good a job of The EPA regulates outdoor ozone levels, made those claims. While our tests con- removing dust but aren’t as good at re- but there is no federal agency that regu- firmed that they reduce germs in the air, moving smoke. Buy a whole-house model lates indoor levels or air purifiers. As we so should any air purifier that effectively with a filter rather than an electrostatic went to press, California banned the sale removes dust and smoke. precipitator, which produces some ozone. of ozone generators for most uses. Still, germ removal isn’t a good reason Portables: Bigger is better. Portable Because both of these ozone genera- tors produced very high amounts of to buy an air purifier.“The limited effec- air purifiers work best at high speeds but ozone and have no way to automatically tiveness of the home air purifiers may are quietest on low. Run the unit on the control its concentration in the air, we give people a false sense of security,” says higher, louder setting when you’re not in consider them Not Acceptable. They Edward J. Septimus, M.D., an infectious- the room, and turn it down to low when were also poor at removing dust and disease expert at Methodist Hospital in you’re nearby.Or buy a model certified for smoke in the air. Houston. “Stick with the basics instead: a larger area.We believe a clean-air deliv- About those “space” claims: We sent Wash your hands with soap and water for ery rate (CADR) above 350 is excellent, NASA the ads, and spokeswomen told us at least 15 seconds and cover your mouth and one below 100 is poor. Look for CADR that the space shuttle and the space station life-support and environmental- and nose when you sneeze and cough.” figures with an Association of Home control systems have always relied on fil- Ozone testing is in flux. Even the UL Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) logo. tration to purify the air, not ozone. ozone test is under review as UL and in- Only those were confirmed by AHAM.

DECEMBER 2007 &Z www.ConsumerReports.org 49 air purifiers Ratings Z XB CB VBB • Availability Most models at stores Excellent Very Good Fair Poor CR Quick Recommendations through April 2008. good No air purifier alone will clean the air. Nor should it be the first thing you try. Portables 1 Whirlpool Based on increasing concern about expo- Within types, in performance order. Blue key numbers indicate Quick Picks. sure to even small amounts of ozone, we Brand & model Price Annual costs Overall score Test results

strongly suggest using whole-house and Dust Smoke Noise Similar model, in small removal removal portable air purifiers that rely on filters type, is comparable to and produce no ozone. tested model. At their lowest and quietest settings, the top-rated portable air purifiers out- 0 100 P F G VG E

performed or matched most of the other number Key Energy Filter High speed speed Low High speed speed Low High speed speed Low emission Ozone portables in the Ratings. There’s no rea- FILTER PURIFIERS Most use HEPA filtration, and none emit ozone. son to choose any others. Whirlpool Whispure 1 $230 $77 $130 63 X& C& X& C& C& X& - Stick with whole-house systems if you AP45030S Kenmore Progressive have forced-air heating. The top-rated 2 270 81 145 57 & & & & & & - 83202 Whirlpool AP510303 X C X C C X furnace filters are a simple, inexpensive 3 Hunter Permalife 30547 270 128 44 56 - upgrade from the standard furnace filter. X& C& X& C& V& X& For performance comparable to that of 4 Blueair 601 600 60 200 46 Z& V& Z& V& B& Z& - the best portables, opt for a professional- 3M Ultra Slim Air Purifier 5 200 105 68 45 X& V& C& V& C& Z& - ly installed system. FAP03-RS Honeywell Enviracaire Ventilation is still the best way to 170 45 - 6 50250 56 60 C& V& C& V& B& X& remove odors from your home. Although 7 Blueair 501 500 64 176 44 X& V& X& V& B& Z& - our latest tests show that the IQAir (20) and Austin Air (21) removed cooking 8 Hunter Quietflo 30401 260 149 120 44 C& V& C& V& V& X& - odors, that capability will be reduced 9 Vornado 35 AQS35 200 130 95 44 X& V& X& V& V& X& - with use. And those models aren’t very 10 Bionaire Galileo BAP1250-U 200 79 102 42 C& V& C& V& V& X& - effective at removing dust or smoke. 140 The Ratings rank air purifiers by over- 11 Holmes HAP756 77 105 41 C& V& C& V& V& X& - all performance. Quick Picks lists mod- 12 Holmes HAP726 125 126 70 39 C& V& V& V& V& X& - els that combine performance and value. Sharp Plasmacluster 400 35 - 13 FP-P60CX 34 20 C& B& C& B& V& Z& QUICK PICKS 14 Panasonic F-P20HU1 100 102 77 35 C& B& C& B& B& Z& - 15 Holmes Harmony HAP422-U 85 58 160 34 & & & & & & - Best room air purifiers: V V V V V X Atmosphere (Quixtar.com) 970 1 Whirlpool $230 16 Air Purifier 27 869 33 C& B& C& B& B& Z& - Honeywell QuietClean 2 Kenmore $270 150 33 - 17 HFD-120-Q 32 0 V& B& V& B& X& Z& Both combine fine performance with qui- 130 eter operation, especially when set on 18 TrueAir 04492 47 0 32 V& B& V& B& C& X& - low. The Hunter (3) costs a bit less in 19 Winix PlasmaWave 5000 300 36 100 32 C& B& C& B& V& Z& - annual costs but was noisier when run on 20 IQAir HealthPro Plus 800 124 230 32 C& B& C& B& V& Z& - high. Though the Friedrich (28) and Ken- Austin Air HealthMate 450 30 - more (29) were better at dust removal on 21 HM-400 96 95 V& B& V& B& B& Z& their high settings, they emitted moder- 22 Amcor AM130 120 80 34 28 V& B& V& B& V& Z& - ate amounts of ozone in our tests, so we Bionaire Permatech 150 27 - don’t suggest you buy them. 23 BAP1500 61 0 V& B& V& B& C& Z& 24 3M Ultra Slim FAP04-RC 300 42 80 26 & & & & & & - Best whole-house air purifiers: V B B B V Z 25 SoleusAir SA-150R 200 44 18 26 & & & & & & - 1 Lennox $350, CR Best Buy V B B B C Z 170 9 3M $20 26 Zojirushi PA-MTC14 35 24 24 V& B& V& B& V& Z& - 10 3M $16 27 Blueair Airpod 100 67616 B& B& B& B& X& Z& - The Lennox is the only professionally ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS All produce some ozone; none exceeded the 50-ppb installed system that does not produce voluntary FDA limit. ozone, and it’s also the least expensive. 28 Friedrich C-90B 500 48 80 64 Z& C& X& C& V& X& M But it will cost an extra $200 or more for 29 Kenmore (Sears) K6 85264 370 129 0 57 Z& C& X& C& V& X& M installation and has high annual costs for 30 Bio-Net EGF Enhanced ⁄ 750 90 122 39 & & & & & & L filter replacements. Do-it-yourself fur- V V V V C X Sharper Image Hybrid nace filters like the 3M (9, 10) aren’t the 500 34 L 31 Germicidal Purifier SI724GRY 10 0 V& V& V& B& X& Z& best if you live with a smoker, but these 32 Ionic Pro Pure Pro 200 200 31 0 31 & & & & & & M two were very good at removing dust V V V B C Z Brookstone Pure-Ion 300 30 L without significantly limiting the heat- 33 Advanced 70 0 V& B& V& B& B& Z& ing/cooling system’s airflow. Honeywell QuietClean 300 26 L 34 HFD-135 51 90 V& B& B& B& V& Z&

50 CONSUMER REPORTS &Z DECEMBER 2007 • Expert • Independent • Nonprofit closeup ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR ADVICE

2 Kenmore 1 Lennox 9 3M For the past 15 years, CONSUMER REPORTS has recommended some electrostatic Brand & model Price Annual costs Overall score Test results precipitators. The Friedrich C-90B and

Dust Smoke Noise Aprilaire 5000 were effective air puri- removal removal fiers with low annual maintenance costs but produced small amounts of ozone.

0 100 These portable and whole-house puri- P F G VG E fiers apply an electrical charge to the Key number Key Energy Filter High speed speed Low High speed speed Low High speed speed Low emission Ozone ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS continued particles drawn into the device and pro- duce some ozone as a byproduct. 35 Oreck XL Tower Professional 700 43 50 24 & & & & & & L V B V B B Z These products’ performance Oreck XL Tabletop 470 17 L 36 Professional AIRPS 33 38 B& B& B& B& C& Z& has not changed ⁄Uses a nonreplaceable filter as well as electrostatic technology. significantly, but our advice has. We now Whole-house believe that air puri- Brand & model Price Annual Overall score Test results fiers that emit even cost small amounts of Similar models, in small type, are ozone (less than 50 comparable to tested model. parts per billion) are not your best choice. Research is increas- 0 100 ingly warning against Friedrich P F G VG E C-90B Key number Key removal Dust removal Smoke resistance Airflow emission Ozone adding ozone to PRO-INSTALLED FILTER SYSTEM Uses non-HEPA filtration and emits no ozone. indoor air. But more studies need to be 1 Lennox Healthy Climate HC16 $ 350 $99 84 Z& X& X& - conducted to determine the effects of PRO-INSTALLED ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS All emit some ozone; none low-level ozone exposure. exceeded the 50-ppb voluntary FDA limit. If you own one of these models, we Trane Clean Effects € 1,025 suggest that you err on the side of cau- 2 € 16 89 Z& Z& X& L American Standard Accuclean tion. If a member of your household has ⁄ 450 3 Aprilaire 5000 36 87 Z& Z& X& L asthma or allergy symptoms that aren’t Carrier Infinity Air Purifier GAPA ⁄ 4 1,135 89 84 & & & L improving, even though you’ve removed Bryant Perfect Air Z Z X allergy and asthma triggers and keep 5 Trion SE1400 700 33 83 Z& Z& Z& M your home well ventilated, you might 600 6 Trane Perfect Fit TFE210A9FR3 22 83 Z& Z& Z& M want to consider switching to one of our 7 Carrier EACB 500 29 82 Z& Z& Z& M highly rated, filter-based models if you 8 Honeywell F300 600 25 77 Z& X& X& M still want a purifier. DO-IT-YOURSELF Standard, non-HEPA filters, about 1-inch thick. They emit no ozone. 9 3M Filtrete 1700 20 80 52 X& V& X& - 3M Filtrete Ultra 16 48 - 10 Reduction 1250 64 X& V& X& Guide to the Ratings Overall score is mainly how well models 15 11 True Blue RP8202014 60 43 X& V& C& - removed dust and smoke from a test chamber, 3M Filtrete Micro Allergen 12 10 40 42 C& V& X& - plus quietness for room models and airflow Reduction 1000 resistance for whole-house. Dust and smoke 13 Precisionaire NaturalAire Elite 13 52 37 C& B& X& - are how well models cleared the air of fine American Breathe Right clay dust and cigarette smoke. Pollen removal 14 19 76 35 & & & - Allergen Barrier C B X is typically similar to dust removal. Noise for 3M Filtrete Dust and Pollen 15 8 32 34 C& B& X& - room models denotes instrument and panel Reduction 600 judgments at highest and lowest speeds. Air- 16 Web Hepa-Pure 30 120 33 C& B& C& - flow resistance reflects how freely air passed through the unit. Annual cost is our estimate American Air Filter Dirt Demon 3 17 Dust Shield 12 19 V& B& C& - based on continuous operation. Ozone emis- 18 Precisionaire NaturalAire Plus 4 16 17 B& B& X& - sion is our classification of ozone generated by a product in our tests: 1 to 25 parts per bil- 19 Web The Original WEB 20 0 15 B& B& X& - lion (ppb) is low (L); 26 to 50 ppb, medium 20 American Air Filter ElectroKlean 26 0 14 B& B& X& - (M). For whole-house products, ozone calcula- tions are adjusted to be comparable to those 1 21 Precisionaire EZ Flow 12 14 B& B& Z& - for portables. Price is approximate retail. 22 Web WEB Lifetime 20 0 13 B& B& X& - Scores for previously tested models may have changed based on the performance of newly 23 American Air Filter StrataDensity ‹ 2 6 12 & & & - B B Z tested models and testing changes. ⁄Uses non-HEPA filtration as well as an electrostatic precipitator. €Recalled because electrical arcing inside the collec- tion cells can pose a fire hazard. ‹Comes in four-pack.

DECEMBER 2007 &Z www.ConsumerReports.org 51