Understand the need: What to address? Is it addressing Outdoor pollution entering indoor
or (and) indoor source of pollution?
Outdoor pollution entering indoor: In case, your indoor are prone for outdoor pollution like
Smoke, dust particle and Moisture. You can address it with Air purifiers having HEPA/
Particulate filters. Still, you have choice to reduce pollution naturally. Provided you have
more space around can plant more trees, natural purifier of air, none of the man-made can
beat.
Nowadays with the technology and sophistication, we are able to address or reduced the
entry of outdoor pollution entering the indoor. To be precise If your doors and windows are
closed/ sealed all the time? If you have air conditioned your indoor?. Then you are not
letting particulate matter indoor, but invariably you are not letting indoor pollution to leave.
Indoor pollutions: You have to address VOC’s, Carbon monoxide, Odor, Moisture, Mildew
and dust mites. Under such conditions choose Activated charcoal air purifiers.
If you have combined problem of outdoor and indoor pollution, choose Air purifiers with
Particulate and charcoal filters. But for the first timers, suggest to start with address one
problem at a time.
Cost: There are air purifiers in market ranging from few hundreds to lakhs in INR. Based on
the objective, choose the prime problem to be addressed and select the economic model to
start with to understands its working and impact on your air quality. Even smaller
percentage difference is a big leap towards air quality measure you take.
Mode of operation: There are two type of air purifiers, 1. Passive air purifiers and 2. Active air
purifiers.
Passive air purifier: It works 24 x 7, doesn’t need any power source to purify air. It works on
the natural air draft that when pass through the fiter media, filters out the pollutants. It is
economic model, moderate in efficiency as it is completely dependent on the air flow
movement within the space.
Example of passive air purifier is charcoal bag air purifiers.
Active air purifier: It works on power source with intended operation ( you have to switch on
and off based on requirement). Unlike passive air purifier, it have suction fan, which sucks in
air in ambiance, push it through filter medias like particulate filter/ HEPA/ Charcoal media/ UV
chamber to purify the air. Air quality can be improved in short span of time as the air suction
is controlled and effectiveness is high.
Maintenance: Passive air purifier doesn’t need any maintenance. Just use and replace with
new one over period of 4 to 6 months. Where as active air purifier, need period maintenance
in terms of proper power supply, change of filters, cleaning and handling. Upon having
enough resource to handle, it is wise to chose active air purifier otherwise it will be another
pile of garbage in the indoor.
Disposal: Passive purifiers are easy to dispose based on the material it is constructed. There
are few brands, which had developed with sustainable material, which could be easily
disposed without harming the environment. These charcoal bags (passive air purifiers) can be
put as fertilizers for plants, the materials used to construct the bags are biodegradable and
charcoal absorbs the nitrogen in air and supplies it as nutrients to plants.
Active purifiers filters has to be changed frequently. Disposal of these filter are highly
challenging. Apart from charcoal media, HEPA/ particulate filters are made of synthetic fibers
which is not bio degradable accumulates huge dust particles becomes another source of dust
pollutant, if not disposed properly.
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