Why is the air quality not optimal after using an air purifier?

The role of air purifiers in life

Many times, too many concrete things in life focus our attention, such as work, houses, cars, and at the same time, the pressure of life It also often tires our souls, leaving us with no time to care about those relatively abstract components of life. Over time, our thinking inertia makes us think that houses and cars are the guarantee of quality of life. Little do we know that the increasingly polluted and neglected air has challenged our health.

Chai Fahe, deputy president and researcher of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, said at the "Ministry of Environmental Protection Urban Environmental Air Quality Standards Management Symposium" held in Shijiazhuang on October 11 that the overall urban environmental air quality status in China It is the poorest country in the world. While economic development is taking place, more attention should be paid to the health of citizens. With the increasingly serious environmental pollution, coupled with the pollution of many indoor decoration and decorative materials, the air source has become an invisible killer affecting human health. 68% of human diseases are related to air pollution. The World Health Organization ranks indoor air pollution first among 18 types of carcinogens.

As for the reasons why China’s urban environment is currently poor, Chai Fahe analyzed that the emission volume and emission intensity of pollutants are at a high level, and the emissions per unit area and unit GDP are also higher than abroad. Many times, this is the root cause. In addition, he believes that the most important reason is the way of development, including the economic structure that places too much emphasis on high-energy-consuming and high-pollution enterprises. In addition, the rapid growth of motor vehicles in recent years and the energy structure mainly dominated by coal are all factors leading to serious pollution.

With the rapid economic development, people's quality of life has steadily improved, and various high-tech products have gradually filled people's living space. But while enjoying the conveniences brought by modern life, while the quality of almost everything around us has improved, the quality of the air has declined, and the air that should have been transparent and abstract has begun to become more and more concrete. And people are always used to discovering the most authentic preciousness from the hustle and bustle after all the prosperity is gone. When people themselves are considered to be healthy, it also opens up the market for the prosperity of air purifiers.

In February this year, the State Council agreed to add PM2.5 monitoring indicators to the newly revised "Ambient Air Quality Standards". PM2.5 is commonly known as particulate matter that can enter the lungs. Because it contains a large amount of toxic and harmful substances, it has a great impact on human health and the quality of the atmospheric environment. Since PM2.5 began to be monitored, people's attention to air quality has increased significantly, making air purifiers very popular. Although the market is hot, it seems to be slightly flashy.

Indeed, although the air purifier market is booming, the audience penetration rate is still not high. At a time when air pollution is serious, the purchasing power of air purification products continues to be sluggish. The reasons are worth pondering. In fact, consumers generally maintain a relatively abstract and fuzzy concept regarding air purifiers. There are many misunderstandings in this, mainly focusing on the following aspects:

First, just open windows for ventilation. Purify the air and improve indoor air quality. If the outdoor environment is good, ventilation can increase the oxygen content in the air and reduce the concentration of toxic gases. However, if in more polluted areas, outdoor pollution is more serious than indoor pollution, it will make our environment even worse. Therefore, traditional ventilation not only cannot improve the indoor air pollution environment, but is likely to increase the intensity of pollution.

Secondly, air purifiers of every brand can solve problems such as sterilization, odor removal, and formaldehyde removal. To thoroughly remove bacteria, odors, and formaldehyde, the purification technology adopted by the air purifier is required to be quite scientific and sophisticated. In order to deceive consumers, some manufacturers arbitrarily exaggerate the functions of their products, but in fact they can only remove some of the harmful substances

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. Therefore, not every brand of air purifier can eliminate bacteria, odors, formaldehyde and other harmful substances at the same time.

Third, an air purifier only has the function of purifying the air, and additional functions such as humidification and skin beautification are superfluous. As people continue to improve their quality of life, the purifiers on the market are not just about purifying the air, but also have many additional functions. In addition to individually improving people's life enjoyment, these additional functions also play a certain role in air purification.

For example, the humidification function of the air purifier can, on the one hand, humidify the air and make the indoor air moist; on the other hand, it can effectively increase the life of the net ion cluster and make the air purification last for a long time.

With the development of economy and science and technology, the damage to the environment is becoming increasingly serious, and the pressure of life is also increasing. The incidence of some "urban diseases" and "modern civilization diseases" is gradually increasing. Pure and fresh Not only does the air help with physical and mental health, but it can also help relieve stress and relax your mind.

Where does the hazard come from?

Maybe we are running for life in different environments every day, maybe we often play different roles in different positions, maybe we walk differently Although there are so many or so many differences, we breathe the same air every day. But the once fresh and clean air has inadvertently become a victim of economic and social development, and this harm has filled many corners of our lives.

Interior decoration

With the gradual improvement of living conditions, people have higher requirements for the quality of their home environment, and home decoration has become a fashion. However, during the decoration process, some substances that are harmful to health are often produced, the more representative ones are formaldehyde and radon. Formaldehyde is generally produced in plastics, insulation materials and plastic furniture used in ceilings and wall veneers at home. It is a colorless and easily soluble irritating gas. When the indoor content is 0.1 mg/cubic meter, it will cause odor and discomfort. Sensitivity; 30 mg/m3 can cause immediate death.

The main source of radon is radioactive building materials near the lake. When the radon concentration in the indoor air is lower than the radon concentration in the building structure, the radon in the building will diffuse radon gas and radon ions into the indoor air, emitting rays that are harmful to the human body. High doses of radon can cause lung cancer, leukemia, skin cancer and other respiratory diseases. According to reports, some scientists have concluded that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

Kitchen Oil Fume

The kitchen is the birthplace of all kinds of food, and the Chinese tradition of "food is the first priority" also makes the kitchen environment closely related to people's health. When cooking in the kitchen, burning various fuels will produce a large amount of gas pollutants, such as smoke, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, etc., which will have a great impact on the air in the kitchen. In addition, during the cooking process, toxic substances such as benzopyrene produced by high oil temperatures will cause serious pollution to the air in the living room, and harmful compounds such as aldehydes, alcohols, and benzofurans can also cause harm to human organs. Enene also has the effect of causing genotoxicity in cells.

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Relevant experts have conducted a survey on kitchen pollution in Zigong City, Sichuan. The results found that the content of pollutants in the kitchen is generally higher than that outdoors, up to 7 times higher. Energy The different structures also directly lead to different indoor pollutants. A survey shows that after one hour of cooking, the content of harmful substances produced in the kitchen is more than 20 times higher than before the fire was turned on, and the smoke and dust will exceed the standard by more than 70 times within half an hour.

Electrical appliances

While the use of various electrical appliances brings convenience and enjoyment to people's lives, it also causes corresponding pollution. Surveys in some countries have shown that people who have been in air-conditioned rooms for a long time are prone to "air conditioning syndrome". In an environment with suitable temperature and humidity, they are prone to symptoms such as dry respiratory tract, nasal congestion, joint pain, chest tightness, suffocation, and thoughts. Lack of concentration and fatigue easily. The main cause of "air conditioning syndrome" is that air conditioners and other electrical equipment produce positive ions. After the indoor air is repeatedly filtered, the air ion concentration changes. The number of negative oxygen ions is significantly reduced and there are too many positive ions. People working and living in an environment with low negative ions can easily cause endocrine and autonomic nervous system disorders.

Recently, the air pollution produced by copy machines has also attracted people's attention. Survey results released by Japan's National Institute of Public Health show that in some places where copy machines are frequently used, ozone concentrations are enough to harm people's health. Ozone has a strong oxidizing effect, and the nitrogen oxides produced by its oxidation are highly irritating to the human respiratory tract.

Bathroom

The primary culprit of air pollution in the bathroom is ammonia. On the one hand, it comes from the release of antifreeze used in winter construction in summer. On the other hand, the relatively thick waterproof layer in the bathroom will also produce a certain amount of ammonia. In addition, ammonia is also easy to accumulate in the sewer.

Ammonia paralyzes respiratory tract cilia and damages mucosal epithelial tissue, making it easy for pathogenic microorganisms to invade. It can also enter the blood through the alveoli, combine with hemoglobin, and destroy the oxygen transport function. Some bathrooms do not have ventilation windows, resulting in the inability to evacuate some toxic and harmful substances in time, especially in master bedrooms with master bathrooms. At the same time, due to the high humidity in the bathroom, harmful bacteria can easily breed.

Furniture and accessories

Furniture and accessories are an important part of people's home life, but when buying furniture, people often focus on its fashionable appearance, lightness, and low price. , while ignoring the many health "killers" hidden in furniture. For example, during the production process of artificial board furniture, adhesives need to be added for bonding, and the surface of the furniture must be painted with various paints. These adhesives and paints contain a large amount of volatile organic compounds, which will seriously pollute the indoor air and lead to long-term inhalation of these harmful substances. , can cause damage to the respiratory system and nervous system.

Carpets are favorite accessories in hotels, family living rooms and bedrooms. In fact, carpets can also have a negative impact on the air in the room. The fine plush of pure wool carpets is an allergen that can cause skin allergies and even asthma. Chemical fiber carpets can release formaldehyde, propylene and other substances into the air. In the production process of curtains, additives such as artificial resin, dyes, and finishing agents are often added, and these additives contain formaldehyde.

In addition to some of the pollution sources listed above, emissions of harmful gases such as car exhaust, keeping pets,

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are relatively closed or subject to second-hand Places affected by smoke, as well as public places such as hospitals and hotels, can easily reduce air quality and even contain some harmful bacteria, thus endangering people's health.

Aspects of air purifiers

Air purifiers are mainly small household appliances used to purify indoor air. Using an air purifier to purify indoor air is an internationally recognized method of improving indoor air quality. An air purifier with excellent performance can effectively remove harmful gases in the air and adsorb suspended particles in the air, especially various bacteria and viruses. Suspended particles are generally used as survival carriers, so they are also removed at the same time. Air purifiers are useful for Improving indoor air quality and maintaining people's health are of great benefit.

At present, the air purifiers on the market have novel appearances, various types, and advanced functions, providing people with a broad space for purchase. Although most air purifiers are cubic in appearance, considering the high utilization of modern home space, there are also many small and exquisitely designed purifiers that have received widespread attention in the consumer market. At the same time, depending on where the purifier is used, the design in appearance and volume also differs.

The types of air purifiers are mainly divided into vehicle, household and commercial types according to the applicable environment. They generally have the functions of cycle freshening, filtration, sterilization (microorganisms), broad-spectrum sterilization, elimination of odors, smoke and dust, air regeneration, etc. Function. In addition, some air purifiers also have functions such as humidification and dehumidification on the basis of air purification. They are widely used and suitable for air purification in homes, office buildings, hotels, shopping malls, cars and other places. Due to different applicable environments, the applicable areas of air purifiers also vary. For example, a small purifier placed on a desk will purify the air mainly near the desk, while those who drive should choose a car-mounted purifier. Air purifier can purify various car odors and even relieve driving fatigue. Therefore, you should pay attention to the applicable environment during the purchase process to avoid failing to achieve the expected purification effect.

The performance of an air purifier is mainly determined by the clean air output ratio. The greater the clean air output ratio, the higher the purification efficiency of the purifier. To make the indoor air quality reach a certain clean standard, the air purifier has two necessary rigid indicators. First, it must ensure that the indoor air reaches a certain number of ventilations, that is, the built-in fan of the air purifier is required to have a certain air volume. The international standard is to ensure that the air is exchanged 5 times per hour in the applicable area. Second, the primary purification efficiency of the air purifier must be relatively high. The higher the purification efficiency, the better the air purifier is. In addition, the purification effect of the air purifier will be more convincing if it is verified by a third-party authoritative organization.

The care and maintenance of air purifiers depends on different brands and types of air purifiers. However, in general, care and maintenance are relatively simple.

Generally, if the front filter (usually the back cover of the chassis) is used for a long time, some dust will accumulate, which will affect the air intake and affect the air purification effect. Therefore, you need to use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust, or clean it with a rag, or even wash it with water. , some filters need to be exposed to the sun regularly to maintain their purification efficiency, such as activated carbon filters. The deodorizing filters of a few brands of air purifiers have reached the technical level of being washable. They can maintain purification efficiency and extend the filter replacement cycle through water washing.

Ion generators are generally built-in and do not require cleaning. Better ion generators have higher working efficiency. When using the air purifier, special attention should be paid to the replacement of the filter element. The time to replace the filter element should be determined based on the actual usage time of the product.

Air purifiers can bring people pure air and protect people's health. They are especially suitable for many special groups. For example, pregnant women, children, the elderly, patients with respiratory diseases, office workers, and people who drive for a long time and are in crowded places with high indoor pollution. Pure air helps the growth and development of the human body, makes you happy and improves work efficiency. For example, pregnant women may feel physically uncomfortable indoors with severe air pollution, and may experience symptoms such as dizziness, sweating, dry mouth, chest tightness, and the urge to vomit, which may adversely affect the development of the fetus. Children born to pregnant women who breathe fresh air are three times more likely to develop heart disease. Office workers mostly work in the office, facing computers every day, and have little opportunity to exercise and breathe fresh air outdoors. In an environment with constant temperature and airtight quality and poor air quality, it is easy to cause dizziness, chest tightness, fatigue, and emotional fluctuations. Symptoms such as discomfort can affect work efficiency and cause various diseases. In severe cases, it can even cause cancer. Therefore, choosing a suitable air purifier will do twice the result with half the effort for people’s quality of life.

There is a long way to go

Air purifiers have been receiving widespread attention since their inception, and more and more people hope to improve air quality through purifier products. Under the strong market demand, many manufacturers are competing in this field and launching air purifiers with various functions. However, the reality is: no matter how hot the market is, its usage penetration rate is still not high. According to a survey, the current global annual sales of air purifiers exceed 10 million units, with a penetration rate of 17% in Japan and 27% in the United States. However, the penetration rate in Chinese households is extremely low, less than 0.1%. The difference is so big not because the air quality in my country is better than abroad, nor because the purchasing power of Chinese consumers is insufficient, but because the market is immature and consumers lack a correct understanding of this product.

At present, the domestic air purifier market is a mixed bag. Not only the product quality is uneven, but the price ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand, the after-sales service system is also very imperfect. In addition, the "discount" on product confidence and The inconvenience of maintenance and repair after purchase has resulted in flat or even weak purchasing power in the market. At the same time, the manufacturer's overly exaggerated propaganda of "Wang Po sells melons, sells melons and boasts of herself" has also disrupted consumers' purchasing ideas to some extent and reduced their purchasing power.

In fact, air purifiers have entered our country very early, but most consumers’ understanding of air purifiers is still in its infancy. Although there are some big brands trying to lead the industry trend, due to the immaturity of development, the industry threshold is relatively low. Many unknown small brands have also occupied a place in this market through excellent imitation and vigorous publicity, but their own technology is not necessarily can meet the standards. The reason why the industry is in chaos is largely due to the lack and imperfection of policy standards in the field of air purifiers in my country.

It is reported that most air purifiers on the market have test reports and indicate the purification efficiency. However, industry insiders revealed that due to the gap between the testing conditions required by companies and the state, the testing indicators provided by many companies contain "moisture". Even in accordance with the testing standards required by the country, there are large differences between the laboratory and the actual use environment, and the purification efficiency is often greatly reduced. It is understood that the current standards for air purifiers in my country are directly translated from foreign countries. However, the categories and composition of pollutants are different between my country and foreign countries, so the standards have certain limitations.