High-efficiency HEPA particulate air filters in air purifiers are more limited than ionizers because they cannot remove smaller particles, but they still remove 99.97% of dust, allergens and microorganisms from the air that contribute to respiratory problems. Ionizers better remove smaller molecules, such as bacteria and viruses, so they may not benefit people with allergies or asthma. Ionizers also do not remove particles from circulation. Instead, they charge them to stay on something else. Unless you constantly clean the hard and soft surfaces in your home, it will be difficult to remove particles that have fallen to the floor.
Simply put, an air ionizer is a type of air purifier, although they work very differently than typical models. While air purifiers remove particles from circulation by trapping them, ionizers simply make them heavy enough to fall to the floor, meaning they still need to be cleaned and can be easily altered and reintroduced back into the air. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that air purifiers with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can hypothetically remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and bacteria. Air ionizers perform a similar task, except that they purify room air by creating negative ions that adhere to allergens, which are positively charged and help impurities settle on the floor. Many of these particles are known to be irritants that can aggravate allergies and asthma, but they can be removed from the air with an air purifier.
Filter-based air purifiers will have a limited area that they can cover satisfactorily, with a maximum coverage limit set by the filter itself. Air purifiers of all types can benefit your health positively, as they clean the air and eliminate impurities. In contrast, air ionizers exploit the chemical properties of ions to remove particles and microbes from the air. If you've been buying an air purifier or a related purification device, you've undoubtedly found something called an air ionizer.
This is due to the fact that odor-producing particles are trapped in the filter itself and kept away from breathing air. If you regularly use an air purifier with a high-quality air filter, you can expect some relief from allergy-related symptoms and a number of respiratory diseases. If you're using an original HEPA filter to purify the air in your home, you'll need to remove and replace it every six months or a year.
