Lung Health News, Fall 2006 / Winter 2007
When Dawn Darling-Aronson was preparing for the arrival of her new baby last year, she bought an “air cleaning” device to help with her asthma and allergies and protect the health of her infant daughter. But she has since discovered that the type she bought may actually harm her baby’s health.
“I figured since the product has been on the market for so long and they are so popular, it must be alright,” she says.
The Seaside resident is one of a growing number of Californians who unknowingly purchase air cleaning devices that are ineffective or dangerous, or both. The American Lung Association of California is sponsoring legislation to protect consumers from the dangers posed by some “air purifiers” that generate ozone either intentionally or as a byproduct. Assembly Bill 2276 (Pavley, D-Agoura Hills) would limit harmful ozone emissions from air cleaning devices and ban the sale of the worst offenders – devices that intentionally generate ozone.
AB 2276 would be the first state law to address indoor ozone emissions. While the Food and Drug Administration has established federal standards for ozone emissions from air cleaners, they have never been effectively enforced.
Air cleaning devices are either central filtration systems installed in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system or portable units that can be moved from room to room. Some devices, called ozone-generating air cleaners, use an electrical charge to generate ozone.
These ozone-generating products are falsely marketed as “air purifiers” that produce “safe” levels of ozone to remove indoor air pollutants such as allergens, gases, viruses, mold and bacteria. The truth is ozone-generating devices are neither safe nor extremely effective. In fact, ozone reacts with other gases to produce significant increases in other pollutants, such as formaldehyde and fine particles, which are also harmful to health.
A recent study of four different ozone-generating models by the California Air Resources Board found that these devices emitted ozone at levels that exceed health-based standards for ozone in outdoor air, posing a serious risk to lung health. One model produced room concentrations more than 4.5 times the health-based ambient air quality standard for ozone within a few hours, enough to trigger a stage 1 smog alert if outdoors.
Ozone is a Lung Irritant
Ozone is a gas that occurs in both the Earth’s upper atmosphere and at ground level, where it is the major component of smog. Ozone is needed in the upper atmosphere to protect the Earth from harmful radiation. But ground-level ozone poses a serious health risk.
Ozone air pollution is a powerful respiratory irritant that can actually cause chemical burns on lung tissue. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pains, wheezing and coughing. Ozone can also exacerbate lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Long-term exposure to ozone can lead to significant reductions in lung function and may even cause asthma in otherwise healthy children.
Ozone is so dangerous the government has established health-based standards for outdoor ozone levels. However, indoor air quality has gone virtually uncontrolled even though we spend as much as 90 percent of our time indoors. That’s why the American Lung Association is sponsoring legislation to control indoor ozone.
‘Ignore the Marketing Hype’
Several manufacturers of air cleaning devices have stepped up efforts to market their products in California in recent years, taking out full-page ads in major newspapers and developing extensive “informational” websites. Ozone-generating types are often described as emitting “activated oxygen” or “mountain-fresh air.”
“Unfortunately, air cleaners are often marketed to those most at risk – people with lung disease,” says Myron Liebhaber, MD, who treats people with asthma and volunteers for the American Lung Association. “At least one patient a day asks me about air cleaners and I always tell them the same thing. Stick with air cleaners that use a HEPA filter. They are the safest and most effective. Ignore the marketing hype.”
The HEPA or High Efficiency Particulate Air filter is a type of mechanical filter used to remove fine particles that can be breathed deep into the lungs. It is the most efficient mechanical filter for removing small particles.
Unfortunately, Darling-Aronson bought an ionic-type air cleaner that electrically charges airborne particles so they are attracted to and settle on room surfaces. Under AB 2276, consumers like her would be able to check the package label to determine if the air cleaner has been certified to meet ozone standards. Ionic air cleaners emit ozone as a byproduct, although at much lower levels than ozone-generating models.
“I guess we fell into the marketing trap,” Darling Aronson says. “There really needs to be better guidelines.”
Links to more information:
www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39289
www.lungusa.org/site/apps/lk/links.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36056
www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/ozone.htm
www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/ionizing-air-cleaners-505/overvie...
