How to Purify Indoor Air

It goes without saying that for the best quality of life, the air we breathe should be the cleanest air possible. The oxygen in the air we breathe nourishes our lungs, blood and, therefore, the rest of our organ systems. Surprisingly, indoor air quality is often 5 to 10 times worse than outdoor air, according to several studies.  This is why it’s so important to purify indoor air.

Among the pollutants found inside homes, offices, restaurants, etc., are the following:

• Carbon monoxide,
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
• Sulfur dioxide,
• Ozone,
• Household chemicals (from hygiene to cosmetics),
• Nitrous oxide,
• Radon, and
• Cigarette smoke.

In addition, there are fungi, molds, viruses, bacteria, and animal dander. All of these air pollutants hinder our health and can also cause allergies that affect the respiratory tract.

This is also an important topic over the last few years as wildfires have been burning both near and far.  This makes it crucial to have clean indoor air.

Options to Purify Indoor Air

• Natural Ventilation – Open windows (and doors if needed) to circulate fresh air into your indoor space. A few times a day would be useful.
• Air Filters – Check and replace your filters every 30 days.  Just because you don’t see build up doesn’t mean pollutants are not there.  This is a very easy and inexpensive way to keep your air cleaner.
• Modular Air Purifiers – You can find these everywhere, from Target to Amazon.  One that I like, but is a little more expensive, is AirDoctorPro.
• Mechanical Ventilation – The filters on our AC units are a good start.  You can also add UV protection for mold and germs.  UV light is the single most popular germicidal light for HVAC systems in the world.  It is a simple, safe, and effective way to keep your air system clean and improve indoor air quality.

There are two types of UV lights for HAVC systems.
-Coil Sterilization – A “stick type” light installed inside the return air duct near that sterilizes the air handler coil.  A coil sterilization UV light runs 24/7 and is the most common type of HVAC UV light.  It is also reasonably priced.
-Air Sterilization – A complete UV light unit that sterilizes moving air.  The UV light unit is installed in the return air duct and cycles on with the air handler blower.  Just make sure you get all the info from your AC service provider.  Some people report that interior parts of the AC unit breakdown faster in the presence of UV light.

Dr. Kalaba is a chiropractor in Tucson, AZ, practicing gentle chiropractic care and providing health tips to help you live the best rest of your life.