& Negative Ions
One of the distinct differences between "fresh"
outdoor air and "stale" indoor air is the balance
of negative ions versus positive ions. The freshest outdoor
air has high concentrations of negative ions ó
specifically, oxygen molecules with an extra electron
attached ó and relatively few positive ions (oxygen with
an electron stripped away).
concentrations of negative ions are found in the most
invigorating outdoor places ó evergreen forests, around
waterfalls, on beaches with crashing surf, or anywhere after
thunderstorms, when the air seems almost crisp and spicy
At the other
extreme, positive ions are found in high concentrations
inside closed, air-conditioned and heated buildings, and
outdoors in cities during rush hours (pollution depletes
that this balance of negative ions versus positive ions may
someday be controlled indoors ó just as we currently
regulate indoor air's humidity and temperature. In this way,
we would hope to restore our homes and work environments to
something more like those refreshing outdoor places.
U.S. Dept. of
A recent study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that
ionizing a room led to 52% less dust in the air, and 95%
less bacteria in the air (since many of the pollutants found
in the air reside on floating dust particles).
also performed another study to test the effectiveness of
negative ionization at removing airborne Salmonella
Enteritidis. The negative ions drastically reduced the
airborne salmonella particles, prompting the following
statement from the USDA:
results indicate that negative air ionization can have a
significant impact on the airborne microbial load in a
poultry house and at least a portion of this effect is
through direct killing of the organisms."
Excerpt From Dateline/NBC
& Good Housekeeping
reported by Hoda Kotbe
And finally, the
personal air purifier, and it promises to "reduce
airborne pollutants, allergens and viruses from your
"My eyes would be itching," says Carol. "My
nose would be this extreme tickle, I could be
Normally, cats make
Good Housekeeping staffer Carol Wapner downright
miserable. But to put the purifier to the test, she
agreed to wear it to this adoption center, where she
was surrounded by the furry felines.
"I feel fine,"
says Carol. "I do smell the cat litter I must
Remarkably, even after 25 minutes, Carol didn't
sneeze once. Was it really the purifier? Or could it
have been mind over matter?
Wein Products, the company that makes the air
purifier, insists it really works thanks to what it
calls a "revolutionary technology" that destroys
pollutants in the air. The company says it has done
extensive testing, but makes no medical claims and
says this is not a medical device. Instead, it says
the proof is in the use, telling "Dateline" it
has hundreds of satisfied customers.
Still skeptical, Good
Housekeeping turned to its engineers for help. They
devised a "smoke test" to see if the air
purifier could clear out a tank of smoke. First,
they lit a cigarette and allowed it to burn inside
the tank, building up a lot of smoke.. Then
they put the air purifier in the tank:
"If you look in here you will see that there is no
more streams of smoke," says Jamey. "To
our astonishment, it did help the people who wore
it," says Franke, "and it did clear out a tank
of smoke. And it's something that we could
recommend to people with a few caveats about the
So, the purifier gets a reality check of three
stars. But it gets a gold star from Carol Wapner who
never thought she could spend this much time up
close and personal with one cat, much less 18!
says Wapner. "It's amazing. Thirty minutes, half
To see the entire article, pick up the March issue
of Good Housekeeping magazine.
SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF IONIC AIR PURIFIERS
IN REDUCING THE INHALATION OF DANGEROUS
POLLUTANTS AND GERMS.
S.A. GRINSHPUN, G. MAINELIS,T. REPONEN, K. WILLEKE, M.A.
TRUNOV, and A. ADIKARY CENTER FOR HEALTH RELATED AEROSOL
STUDIES, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF
CINCINNATI, OHIO, USA.
A year long study by eminent
researchers in air pollution science has concluded that Wein
ionic air cleaners can substantially reduce the inhalation
of toxic particles such as smoke, dust, pollens, molds, many
allergens, fungi, germs and the most dangerous particles
that would otherwise remain trapped in the lungs. This study
was performed by leading authorities in air pollution
research in laboratories that have no equal in this country
that are used by EPA, NIH, OSHA, CDC, NIOSH, HUD, NIST, and
NATO Wearable and stationary ionic air cleaners from three
different manufacturers were evaluated and the results and
conclusions reviewed by experts . The Wein ionic air
cleaners surpassed the other manufacturers by a wide margin.
Indeed , in one study of a competitor's room unit versus the
Wein Vortex VI-2500, 50% of the most dangerous particles
still remained airborne and breathable while the Vortex
VI-2500 eliminated over 95% of these particles. In other
words, the Wein VI-2500 Unit was 10 times more effective.
Ozone levels have been tested
as safe by Underwriters Laboratories, USA, Fuji Testing
Laboratories, Japan, University of Southern California,
Advanced Pollution Instruments, USA. The Authors of this
report conclude: The research teams at the Department of
Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati Medical
Center are very excited about these studies and are now
considering two papers to be prepared and submitted to major
peer - reviewed journals with international circulation.
Validation tested at
leading Universities and research institutes.
highest ion wind output.
filterless maintenance free technology
commendations and testimonials worldwide.
Four US patents granted.
Propels cleaner fresher
air into your breathing zone.
Presented at the Leipzig
European Aerosol Conference.
This ultra light
miniature wearable air purifier is a "must
have" for air travel, movie theatres, waiting
rooms, or any confined areas where people congregate.
Outperforms the bulky
inefficient competitive units.
Solid platinum permanent
emitter and gold plated stainless steel collectors