Effectiveness of portable indoor air cleaners: sensory testing results.

The effectiveness of individual commercially available portable indoor air cleaning units were tested for their removal of dust particulates, tobacco smoke particulates and vapour phase constituents, viable and total fungal spores, pollen, and gaseous contaminants, and formaldehyde. A clean air test chamber was used. The results presented represent initial use. It was found that HEPA and electrostatic precipitator system demonstrated the highest efficiency in relation to particulate contaminants, with electret filter systems close behind. Least effective were ionizers and ozone generators. States that systems including sufficient sorbent material such as activated carbon or potassium permanganate were marginally effective in removing gaseous contaminants. Carbon monoxide was not removed effectively by any of the systems tested. An investigation of potential correlation between human perceptive response and measured air cleaner performance was done using sensory testing. The best ratings in relation to odour strength, nasal irritation, eye irritation, and overall air acceptability were received by an electret filter loaded with carbon sorbent.