It’s nice to be able to breathe–that’s something we take for granted sometimes. However, for almost two hundred years scientists, researchers, doctors, and businesses have worked diligently to allow people the every day luxury of breathing. Today with almost ten million asthma suffers alone, air purifiers are offering allergy sufferers, firefighters, soldiers, coal miners, hospital workers, PC manufacturers, factory workers, etc. the opportunity to breathe easier with an absolute plethora of products. Air purifiers and air cleaners have evolved by leaps and bounds from the original “inhalers” and “lung protectors” of the early days and continue to evolve to meet the constant need to breathe.
In the early 1800’s, John and Charles Dean developed a mask for firefighters that allowed them to charge into burning buildings without being overcome with smoke fumes. Along the same time, breathing masks for divers and coal miners were also being developed. In the early 1850’s, John Stenhouse developed a charcoal based filter which became the first gas mask. The original breathing masks and gas masks focused on filtering out specific enemies using an approach called High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA). The addition of charcoal to the filtration system was a huge advancement because the charcoal filtered multiple toxins.
World War II brought about one of the largest advancements in air filtration / purification history with the Manhattan Project. This project focused scientists and government funding on developing a breathing apparatus that would protect soldiers from which was later revealed to be the atomic bomb. That development prompted further advancements to combat chlorine gas, flame throwers, and mustard gas. A few years later the Ebola plague in Africa drew attention to the need for electronic generator air filters / purifiers. Corona Discharge Systems (CDS) used a spark to convert oxygen to ozone and allowed victims the gift of clean air to breathe.
Over the last twenty years the terms MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and ETS – Environmental Tobacco Smoke have become an integral part of air filtration / purification technology. Early filtration focused on toxic chemicals, noxious gas, and foul orders while more modern filtration devices focused on mold, viruses, bacteria. The need for the air purification devices has expanded over the years to include protection against fabric chemicals, perfumes, building materials, pesticides, dust mites, pollen, food odors, along with the plain ole’ desire for fresh air.
The 1980’s brought attention to the concept of a dust free environment. HEPA filters screen 99.7% of all 0.3 micron breathing offenders. Newer developments such as nebulizers for asthma patients and AHPCO ‘ Advanced Hydrated Photocatalytic Technical Quad Catalyst Ultraviolet Cells have helped bring filtration rates to 99.7% of all microns 0.1 and larger. The Hepa air cleaner now act as air purifiers using granular carbon filters, among many other types, to cleanse the air of as many unwanted pollutants as possible.
The number of applications has grown over the years, along with the technology and development of the indoor air purifierand filtration process. Thanks to almost two hundred years of research, the end result is the fulfillment of the simple desire to breathe.
