Air Purifiers and VOCs and Formaldehyde
TrueCarbon™ Air Purifier
The TrueCarbon™ purifiers currently come in three sizes that provide small, medium, and large sized room coverage. They're lightweight and easy to carry, but pack a powerful amount of carbon filtration.
This purifier has one granular activated carbon filter filter that includes a pre-filter and over 3 pounds of carbon filtration. The TrueCarbon™ series helps to remove heavy odors, gases, VOCs, and smoke.
This purifier has one granular activated carbon filter filter that includes a pre-filter and over 3 pounds of carbon filtration. The TrueCarbon™ series helps to remove heavy odors, gases, VOCs, and smoke.
What are Volatile Organic Compounds and Why are they Harmful?
Commonly called VOCs, volatile organic compounds are a broad class of organic gases that have no strict or specific definition. This is such a broad category that there are over 10,000 individual gases that can be classified as VOCs depending on the overall definition being used. Many products, including building materials, cleaners, and hair products use chemicals that can be classified as VOCs.The chemicals are released into the air through a process known as off-gassing. Off-gassing occurs when these chemicals slowly escape off the product and become air pollution.
VOC emissions can be quick, or it can occur slowly depending on many factors. The product itself will determine the length of off-gassing, as will the temperature where the material is located. In most cases, it’s believed that it occurs over a period of roughly two to eight weeks. The ethanol in hand sanitizer, for example, off-gasses very quickly, while other VOCs, such as the chemicals in moth balls, evaporate much slower. Generally, higher temperatures accelerate off-gassing.
Common Sources in Your Home
There are numerous sources of VOCs in your home, and you may be surprised to learn that many products of different varieties contribute to poor indoor air quality.For example, many paints and stains hold VOCs. Paint on walls and furniture, as well as wood stains and other chemicals, commonly release VOCs. Wood preservatives are also a contributor.
Many sprays hold VOCs as well. Aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants also hold these chemicals. Ironically, air fresheners often hold VOCs, so you can actually make the air worse (even though it smells better) by using these products.
Moth repellants are another source of the chemicals. If you have any stored fuel in your garage, they are likely leaking VOCs. Numerous automotive products are carriers of these harmful chemicals.
Hobby supplies, such as paints and paint strippers also hold volatile organic compounds. Glues and adhesives will often have these chemicals, creating problems for people who have indoor hobbies like crafts or model-making.
Building materials with paints and preservatives often hold VOCs, and the furnishings in your home may be leaking these compounds, especially if they are new. Office equipment also releases VOCs. This can include copiers and printers, as well as correction fluids such as white-out. Carbonless copy paper is also a common source for this form of indoor air pollution.
As you can see, there are numerous sources of VOCs, and these chemicals have many potential health risks.
Why are VOCs Harmful?
As we’ll learn, the impacts of VOCs bring many health issues, harming people in a variety of different ways.When you are exposed to airborne VOCs, the effects can seem rather mild, at least at first. It is common to have irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat. If the exposure is prolonged, symptoms can become progressively more serious, including the loss of coordination, headaches, and nausea. Eventually, damage to internal organs can occur; livers, kidneys, and the central nervous system can all be affected by VOCs.
The overall message is clear: VOCs are bad for our health and should be avoided in any way possible. Fortunately, there are many solutions, including changes to your household and the addition of the best air purifier for VOCs.
How to Avoid VOCs
VOCs come from a variety of sources, so the best way to avoid exposure is to first reduce or eliminate these items from your home. There are many low-VOC products that are excellent alternatives to paints and wood stains. You can also find cleaning supplies that are low on VOCs, giving you a clean alternative when it’s time to tidy up the home.In general, fresh outdoor air is healthier than indoor air; this tends to be true whether you have VOCs in the home or not. To remove these chemicals, open windows and allow the outdoor breeze to sweep them away. Allowing for as much cross-ventilation as possible will reduce VOCs in your home.
If you have any leftover products from painting or staining, remove them as quickly as possible and safely dispose of them. If you are building a home, make sure the contractor you choose is properly experienced with safe materials so you have fewer chemicals floating in your indoor air.
Finally, you should use an air purifier for VOCs. A high-quality air purifier with high efficiency air filters including activated carbon, which is great for VOCs and ozone removal, will be able to reduce the amount of chemicals in your home and provide cleaner air for everyone. This is especially important when the windows need to be shut, such as in the winter or during pollen season. If you're looking for formaldehyde removal, make sure the carbon filter has been specially treated to address this.
What is Formaldehyde and Why is it Harmful?
Formaldehyde is a common source of indoor air pollution and one of the most prevalent VOCs.
What is Formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a gas that is completely colorless, which makes it uniquely dangerous because it is hard to detect by sight. However, the chemical does have strong odors, making it easier for people to know if there is an issue with air quality.Formaldehyde is used in a variety of building materials and household products, making it a common source of health problems. Materials made with formaldehyde can release the chemical as a gas or vapor into the air. It’s not just household products that hold this dangerous VOC; automotive exhaust also contains formaldehyde.
Throughout the 1970’s a form of insulation was used that contained formaldehyde, so homes built with this material could likely contain the chemical. If your house uses gas stoves, wood-burning stoves, or kerosene heaters, you may also have formaldehyde as part of your indoor air.
Tobacco smoke is another known source of formaldehyde, and both smokers and non-smokers can be subject to the airborne chemical.
Formaldehyde is also used to create a variety of household products. Although the levels may be lower, formaldehyde is found in some types of personal care products, including lotions, shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, and fingernail polishes. Using these products on a regular basic could raise the level of formaldehyde in your air, reducing your overall indoor air quality and eliminating harmful odors.
Why is Formaldehyde Harmful?
There are many health issues that stem from exposure to formaldehyde and other chemical odors. This chemical has been linked to a variety of problems, including lung and breathing problems. People who are exposed to formaldehyde often experience irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, and the issue can cause occupational asthma, although this issue may be relatively rare.Most frightening, there is a strong link between formaldehyde and cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, the laboratory studies have demonstrated a link between exposure to formaldehyde and cancer in lab rats, which raises the obvious concern of formaldehyde and cancer in humans.
Clearly there is a need to avoid formaldehyde and VOCs in your home. But what’s the best strategy?
While there are many steps you should take, one of the first is to purchase an air purifier for VOCs and formaldehyde.
