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$400 Sharper Image Ionizing Air Filter Found Potentially Damaging to Respiratory System (http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1265)

Oh the irony. You shell out $400 to help clear the air and assist your breathing if you have asthma, but now Consumer Reports has found that these ionizing technologies may actually be bad for your health. I always found those filter things to be a bit extreme, didn’t you?

“Growing numbers of people with allergies and asthma are coughing up hefty sums for heavily marketed indoor air cleaners they hope will provide purer air to breathe. But a study in the May issue of Consumer Reports describes some of these devices as not just ineffective but capable of exposing people to ozone — a gas that, in large enough quantities, can damage the lungs, irritate the respiratory system and aggravate asthma, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“The devices, known as ionizing air cleaners or electrostatic precipitators, work by electrically charging airborne particles and trapping them on oppositely charged metal plates, according to the American Lung Association (ALA). Ozone, a super-charged oxygen molecule, is a byproduct of this process. In contrast, says the association, the most common type of air purifier includes a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which traps most particles and removes odors while producing much lower amounts of ozone.

“The findings are particularly worrisome because about 80 percent of people who buy air cleaners have asthma or allergies, according to the magazine. Air ionizers make up about 25 percent of the $410 million-a-year air cleaner market, according to the report, which was issued by the nonprofit Consumers Union (CU), publisher of Consumer Reports books and magazines. The report marks CU’s second criticism in two years of the Ionic Breeze ($400), which leads the ionizer market. Once again, the product earned “poor” ratings from CU for cleaning dust and smoke from the air; the new report also found the device poor at removing pollen. “Source: Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45313-2005Apr11.html) via Gizmodo

The Sharper Image response (http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/cust_help/consumerreportresponse.jhtml)