Many businesses also seized this opportunity and entered the air purification field. Recently, the reporter saw in major stores and malls in Tianjin that almost all home appliance brands have launched air purifiers. The prices range from several hundred yuan to several thousand yuan, and some brands even claim to be able to remove formaldehyde and even PM2.5.
Market research shows that air purifiers are labeled as having powerful functions.
The reporter went to Guomei Electrical Appliances and saw a row of air purifiers displayed on the showcase. When the reporter asked if these air purifiers could remove some fine particles, such as PM2.5, given that the new house is close to the road and there might be a lot of dust, the salesperson replied: As long as you want to remove them, these air purifiers can all do it.
The reporter noticed a promotional sheet with the words "Effective in Removing PM2.5" attached to an air purifier of a certain brand. The salesperson removed the cover of the purifier and then pulled out a black filter net about 1 centimeter thick, telling the reporter that it was a HEPA filter, which could effectively purify indoor air, remove fine dust and kill bacteria. Close to the back cover was a piece of honeycomb-shaped activated carbon wrapped in gauze. The salesperson explained that this was only available on high-priced air purifiers. The salesperson said that the filter of this machine had a lifespan of about 10 years. Usually, it only needs to be taken out and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and exposed to the sun for a while. The operation is quite simple.
The personnel from the environmental protection bureau were unable to accurately reflect the purification effect.
The actual effectiveness of air purification equipment is invisible and intangible. Are the so-called air purifiers that claim to remove indoor air pollutants and PM2.5 really effective?
The general principle of an air purifier is to use an electric motor to draw in indoor air, then pass the air through multiple layers of filter screens for filtration, and finally release it back into the room. If the filter screen of the purifier can effectively adsorb harmful substances, it can achieve the purpose of purifying the air. The reporter learned that air purifiers with the main function of removing inhalable particles are mainly designed to remove PM10. Air purifiers that remove PM2.5, however, have difficulty ensuring their effectiveness. The sensor technology that can make users feel the effect is still unable to solve the technical bottleneck where a thousand yuan can buy an air purifier but the sensor equipment costs ten thousand yuan. An environmental protection bureau staff member told the reporter that some air purifiers on the market use red, green, and yellow sensors to detect the air, which definitely cannot accurately reflect the air purification effect. In fact, it only has a symbolic function.
Tip: Plants are effective air purifiers.
Most people spend more time indoors. Placing some green plants in the office and at home can have a certain effect in reducing the dust in the indoor air. This is because fine particles fall onto the leaves due to gravity or are adsorbed by the plants' respiration. Plants with broad leaves, a large number of leaves, and a hairy surface have a better ability to adsorb fine particles. Although broad-leafed green plants have an adsorption effect on dust in the air, if the leaves are not cleaned and wiped regularly, their adsorption function will significantly decrease
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