Air Purifier - A Brief History
Today, air purifiers are all the craze. Every
allergy sufferer, asthmatic and health nut in the world has one, but
believe it or not, there was a time when we didn't have air
purifiers. We simply breathed the air that was in our homes and
somehow managed to survive. So when did this craze actually begin?
How did it start?
Types of air purification have actually been around for over 200
years in some form or another, though most people don't realize it.
The truth is, since the early 1800s, scientists have been trying to
find ways to make our air cleaner, long before the industrial
revolution ever hit and California began to look like an outdoor
barbecue on a high flame.
To kick this technology off, in the early 1800s John and Charles
Dean developed a mask for fire fighters. This mask allowed them to
charge into burning buildings without having to worry about being
overcome by smoke fumes from the fire. Around that same time, masks
were also made for divers and coal miners who were constantly
exposed to dangerous air, but it wasn't until the 1850s that the
first gas mask was developed by John Stenhouse. The mask worked on a
charcoal based filter design, very similar to some of the air
purifiers today. These original masks worked on the principal of
filtering out what they called "enemies" by using a system called
High Efficiency Particulate Air or HEPA. Yes, the same HEPA filter
systems we can buy today. Once they added charcoal to this system it
made a dramatic improvement because the charcoal was able to filter
out multiple toxins.
But it wasn't until World War II when we got some of the greatest
advancements in air filter systems. This came with the Manhattan
Project. This was a project that got scientists together from all
around to work on a breathing device that would protect soldiers
from the atomic bomb. While that was actually laughable in itself,
it did end up in advancements that helped combat chlorine gas,
mustard gas and flame throwers. A few years later a plague in Africa
made scientists aware of the need for protection against chemicals,
perfumes, building materials, pesticides, dust mites, pollen and
food allergens. This started a string of air purification devices
being developed.
In spite of all this, it wasn't until the 1980s that the clean air
craze really took off. The concept of a dust free environment was
all the rage, practical or not. According to studies, HEPA filters,
which were the biggest rage of the era, filtered out 99.7% of all
the allergens in the air and all micron offenders of size 0.3 and
larger. But advancements didn't stop there. Newer devices, such as
Nebulizers, were able to filter out offenders of size 0.1 and larger
and still keep the 99.7% filter level.
Over the years, the number of devices used for filtering the air has
grown astronomically. Just do an Internet search on the different
types and brands of air purifiers. There are literally hundreds of
them.
All this from a simple mask designed for fire fighters. Who would
have ever guessed?
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
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