Even in sunny San Diego, we spend much of our time indoors surrounded by sources of air pollution -- consumer products, gas appliances, building materials – even our furniture can release toxic gases. These indoor pollutants can cause a variety of health effects ranging from eye, nose and throat irritation to asthma aggravation to cancer.
These pollutants can build up rapidly indoors to levels much higher than those usually found outdoors. Research has shown that indoor levels of some pollutants such as formaldehyde, chloroform, and styrene range from two to 50 times higher than outdoor levels.
Both the state and federal governments have developed programs to reduce human health risks posed by contaminants in indoor environments. For more information, visit the following sites:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/index.html
Various companies have developed air cleaning devices designed to reduce certain indoor pollutants; however, air cleaning alone cannot be expected to adequately remove all of the pollutants present in the typical indoor air environment. The effectiveness of air cleaners in removing pollutants from the air is a function of both the efficiency of the device itself (e.g., the percentage of the pollutant removed as it goes through the device) and the amount of air handled by the device.
The following links provide factual information about these devices:
