Of the ten most polluted cities in the world, seven are in India. If you count the first thirty, there are 22 Indian cities. Furthermore, only India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have contributed to the world's 50 most polluted cities, with India and China being major contributors.
Many cities in North India are experiencing an increase in air pollution every season around Diwali, while this is a different story, according to which this increase is due to "unsanitary". (AQI 151-200) years; serious more & apos; (AQI 700+) category. This means that people in the affected cities rarely have access to health and wellness; (AQI 0-50) air to breathe. Therefore, we must stop viewing pollution as a seasonal problem and start taking immediate precautions.
Pollution levels in Delhi and the NCR reached their highest level in three years. A thick layer of smog covered the nation's capital on Monday. So much so that even the Supreme Court of India said: "No one is immune, even inside the houses; it is atrocious." It's not so we can survive. "
What it means There is no healthy air to breathe in many parts of the country. And while the authorities play the blame game, IT IS YOU who can move forward and keep it safe.
What is the solution
Thousands of articles explain what we must do to reduce pollution. On a larger scale, there is still a lot of work to be done and the state must review various regulations from one sector to another to fight pollution. While authorities are looking for a long-term solution, people are more reliant on short-term options such as masks and nebulizers.
As authorities strive for long-term results, we must find effective solutions to combat this deadly air. Wearing N95 masks and staying indoors is effective to some extent, but providing a healthy air intake is something only air purifiers claim to achieve.
Today, almost every urban home has a water purifier, a device that was once as useless as air purifiers. Awareness and awareness of the harmful effects of unsafe water has led consumers to believe that this is a necessity that will affect their health in the long run. Similarly, with air pollution becoming more obvious and visible, more and more people are getting the idea of having an air purifier at home.
It is even more logical that you realize that a person breathes between 9,000 and 11,000 liters of air every day, most of which is inside. It is at this time that air purifiers help you share your healthy air quality.
There are tons of companies that make air purifiers, and that's where the question arises as to which is the best air purifier. There are cheaper alternatives and very expensive solutions, but you have to ask yourself if your investment is really worth it or not. Or even if they really have advantages.
Do Air Purifiers Really Help?
To better understand this, we contacted one of the world leaders in this category, the British tech giant, Dyson. Why Dyson? Because it is one of the few companies that leads the way in home air purification technology.
As most of us already know what is causing the pollution and how it is damaging to us, we asked Dyson if these machines are really designed to combat extreme conditions in a place like Delhi in the national capital area. If so, What?
David, a design engineer at Dyson, said: "Pollution levels have started to rise since early October, early winter in India. Increased awareness of the need to use air purifiers in India, but in the absence of Regulatory Requirements and Benchmarks Regarding Purifier Certifications; In India, installed air purifiers may not serve their primary purpose - to provide you with clean air in all circumstances. "
David explained how the industry is still using outdated CADR tests to evaluate air purification. This is a standard test on which brands like Xiaomi, Philips, Blueair, etc. s & # 39; support. But Dyson believes its usage-dependent real-world POLAR test describes a better scenario for a modern home. It is not just about defining the quantitative measure of clean air, it is designed so that the room is filled with clean air.
How is the POLAR test more reliable compared to the CADR?
The CADR test is a valid way of looking at purification. It is important to note that this industry test has some limitations, which are covered in the POLAR test.
The CADR test is performed in a 11.8 m2 chamber, compared to the POLAR 6 x 4.5 x 3 m test chamber. This gives you an area of approximately 27 m2, which more closely resembles the average size living room in this part of the world, especially for those who can buy Dyson.
Referring to another interesting fact, David said, "the test is not structured to tell you how well a machine can mix and blow clean air in a room. Sitting next to the purifier might, for example, benefit more from the machine instead of someone in the back of a room. "
In the CADR test, the ceiling fan is used to mix the purified air in the purifier room. Most of us don't use fans during winters, which means the machine could purify the air directly around it, which means you don't breathe there. Clean the air only when you are near the machine.
David also noted that "unlike the visible pollutants sent to the CADR test chamber, many forms of air pollution are actually invisible."
We must agree that the design of the modern house has been replaced by more airtight spaces. But sealed houses also harbor static air, poor air circulation, and a buildup of harmful pollutants. The CADR test does not take this factor into account because there is only one air quality sensor in the room, which means it only gives you a good view of the room. A general reading of the air quality in the room.
The POLAR test method takes into account these limitations of conventional tests that meet the new requirements of modern home environments.
The chamber walls are made of glass, housed in a fully temperature and humidity controlled stainless steel frame. This completely sealed chamber is filled with a network of 9 air quality sensors (anemometers), and the ceiling fan does not work during testing. This provides a complete understanding of how the air quality changes in different parts of the room.
Rather than placing the purifier in the center of the room, the POLAR test requires that it be placed in a corner of the room, where I want to store my air purifier.
You can watch a demo video of the POLAR test below.
Break the dust myth
As we have mentioned, modern homes are the seat of pollutants. Common household items like wooden furniture, candles, gas stoves, cleaning sprays, houseplants, and pets release harmful pollutants in our homes.
Dust is a major pollutant in cities like Gurgaon and Noida and is a major concern for potential air purifier buyers in these cities. I met some people concerned about the dust that was accumulating in their room despite the use of an air purifier 24 hours a day. Does this mean that the purifier is ineffective? No.
In general, invisible dust is indoor air pollution. The dust that is deposited in our homes is heavier, often PM 100, and does not contribute to the IQA level.
Understand the importance of sensors and filters.
The only way to know if an air purifier is working properly is to use its sensors. While many affordable CADR-tested air purifiers have a single sensor, Dyson air purifiers use an algorithm that processes inputs from three sensors built into the product. Each sensor constantly monitors the air for particles, gases, temperature, and humidity. When contaminants are detected, the machine reacts automatically and adjusts the purification parameters to combat contamination and maintain target air quality. This means that a large part of the process is based on the quantity and quality of the sensors, where cheaper alternatives are likely to fail.
Next comes the most crucial element of any air purifier, the filters. The types of pollutants blocked by the filters are dust, pollen, tobacco smoke, pet allergens, mite allergens, 2.5 micron particles, 0 micron particles, tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, acetaldehyde, acid acetic, ozone and nitrogen. dioxide, toluene, trichlorethylene and naphthalene.
The effectiveness of filters is measured by their ability to capture the polluted air particles that pass through them. Checking the HEPA filter from the inside will give you a good idea of its effectiveness.
While many air purifiers claim that their HEPA filters remove nearly 100% of the particulates that pass through them, the actual efficiency is still about 80% or less, considering leaks.
To solve this problem, the Dyson 360 degree sealed filter is designed to extract air from the entire circumference of the machine. The filtration system consists of two separate filters: HEPA H-13 glass borosilicate glass filter and an activated carbon filter.
The filters are sealed in the machine; air can only pass through the filters, not around them, allowing more particles to be captured during the first pass. Dyson claims to capture 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns.
Dyson air purifiers contain two different types of filters: a pair of H-13 glass borosilicate HEPA filters and a pair of activated carbon filters. There is a very thin layer of pre-filter that traps the larger particles before the air passes through the HEPA filter.
According to Dyson, "The carbon filter contains more than three times more carbon than the previous generation of filters. It uses carbon tablets instead of a carbon cloth." More carbon in the filter means that the filter will be able to capture more harmful gases, including formaldehyde, benzene, and NO2 from the air.
Need to save money on air purifiers?
The question is subjective about where you live, the air quality, and the size of your room. However, if you live in the most polluted cities in India, we recommend that you go for a better solution such as Dyson. We reviewed some Dyson air purifiers and found it to be a more valued investment in the long term as it is currently a slightly expensive option in the Indian market.
If you have three small rooms and a tight budget, choose three affordable options - like the Philips AC1215 or the Mi 2S air purifier - it's not a bad idea either.
- Best Air Purifiers to Buy in India