Despite doubts, air cleaners are big business

Take a look at the sun pouring through your window. In the rays of light, you'll probably see dust and small particles floating through the air. These are a mix of outdoor pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, roach allergens, and even tiny dried human skin cells, said Mike Tringale, spokesman for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit patient education group.

"It's an alternative universe floating in the air; stuff that has gone through the meat grinder of air systems," he said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, where air pollutant levels may be two to five times higher than those outdoors. With 60 million people who have asthma and allergies nationwide, more than those affected by diabetes or heart disease, it's no wonder the air cleaner market is at $450 million.

The tools and supplies for a clean, healthy home - disinfectant sprays and wipes, dusters, mops, vacuums, and more - have grown to include air filtration units.

"There's a fixation about keeping the house spotless, free of germs and bacteria," said Tringale.

With thousands of models on the market, including those from Whirlpool, Healthy Aire, Honeywell, Oreck, Brookstone, and Sharper Image, you can now find air purifier travel pillows, around-the-neck personal "mini mates," and plug-in "ionic breeze" bathroom air fresheners.

Despite health-related claims made by many manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the units; even the asthma and allergy foundation has not certified any air filtration devices with their "asthma-friendly" label.

But a Washington-based trade group, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, has set industry performance standards for portable household electric room air cleaners, including, beginning in February, ozone compliance levels.

According to Consumer Reports, even the best air cleaners can be a frivolous investment, and the magazine's tests also showed that a few even did more harm than good, producing significant levels of ozone, an irritant that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function.

Elizabeth Cotsworth, director of the EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, said air cleaners can be used as an adjunct source to whole-house ventilation systems but cannot completely remove all indoor pollutants. "Air cleaners do help remove some particulates from the air," she said, "but some air cleaners produce ozone, which can aggravate many people."

Tringale said the only clinically tested air purifiers are those with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. "The jury is still out and hasn't even convened yet on some of the other technology," he said, including water, plasma, ionic cleaners, or those with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. "It's fascinating how a few years ago, air filtration was not a sexy topic, but now companies are trying to innovate from fan-driven HEPA into other areas."

To separate the hot air and marketing hype from the facts, Jill Notini, a spokeswoman for the home appliance manufacturers group, said consumers should look at filter efficiency and performance, using an industry benchmark called the clean air delivery rate.

The higher the delivery rate numbers the better, as that means more removal of dust, pollen, and tobacco smoke. Air volume capacity should be equal to room size -"like an air conditioner, you don't want a unit too small or too big," said Notini. You'll also want to consider noise level, wattage, speeds, and whether the filter is washable or needs replacing.

"Take time to look at the user guide and technical specs; find out exactly what you're buying," said Tringale. But in the end, he said, a machine can only do so much. "If you have three or four pets, a smoker in the house, and dirty carpets, what's the solution? Get rid of the pets. Change the carpeting. And kick the smoker out. An air cleaner is often only one domino in a long line of things that need to be done."