Only You Can Prevent Poor Air Quality from Wildfires

Those of us in Southern California know that hot, humid weather is usually correlated with dangerous wildfires. Of course, California isn't the only state facing large wildfires. Today, September 1, 2009, the National Interagency Fire Center reports that there are large wildfires in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. Even though wildfires have been reported in eight states, the ash and smoke affect more than just the residents of those states. Any kind of smoke is detrimental to your indoor environment, not to mention your health. Smoke and ash often cause runny noses and breathing problems, which can lead to more serious, chronic conditions such as cancer and emphysema. Prevent these wildfires from affecting your lungs by using an air purifier!

The best air purifiers to combat smoke are the purifiers that use activated carbon filters. Carbon filters absorb unwanted odors, tastes, volatile organic compounds (VOC), smoke, gases and chemicals like a sponge and help keep your air clean. There are actually many air purifiers that feature activated carbon filters, such as the Airpura T600 air cleaner. This air purifier has a 26-pound activated carbon filter that is designed specifically for capturing smoke particles. Some air purifiers contain different blends of carbon to capture stronger chemicals and heavier smoke. The Austin Air HealthMate Plus air purifier features a carbon filter that is mixed with zeolite and potassium iodide. This specific air cleaner covers a wide range of chemicals and gases, while protecting your thyroid gland and producing medical-grade oxygen for you to breathe.

HEPA air purifiers are extremely helpful when it comes to eliminating smaller particles, such as dust and ash. True HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Air) filters can capture up to 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns or smaller. The AllerAir 5000 Exec air purifier is an extremely powerful HEPA purifier that can remove ash with its HEPA filter and destroy smoke particles with its Mac-B activated carbon filter. The HealthPro Plus air purifier by IQAir is also a great unit when it comes to fighting against airborne particles. These air cleaners feature 5 pounds of activated carbon pellets and aluminum impregnated with potassium permanganate as the gas media filter in addition to an all-powerful HyperHEPA filter that eliminates very fine particles, such as ash and combustion particles.

Don't hesitate when it comes to your health; use an air purifier to keep your home - and your lungs - free of highly dangerous wildfire smoke and ash!