Source: Air Quality Sciences: IAQ resource center
Updated May 24, 2002

Introduction

Three-tiered system for cleaner indoor air

Types of air cleaners:

Mechanical filtration

Electronic air cleaners

Mechanical-electronic hybrid filters

Styles of air cleaners:

Central filtration

Console-size units

Tabletop units

"Personal" air cleaners

Effectiveness

Ozone generators

What to know if you are thinking about buying an air cleaner

The pollutants listed in this guide have been shown to cause the health effects mentioned. However, it is not necessarily true that the effects noted occur at the pollutant concentration levels typically found in the home. In many cases, our understanding of the pollutants and their health effects is too limited to determine the levels at which the listed effects could occur.

RADON (Rn)

Sources: Earth and rock beneath home; well water; building materials.

Health Effects: No immediate symptoms. Estimated to contribute to between 7,000 and 30,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Smokers are at higher risk of developing radon-induced lung cancer.