Cooler weather prompts homeowners to batten down the hatches for comfort and energy efficiency. But keeping the doors and windows tightly shut can have an undesirable effect on indoor air quality, creating an environment that is stale, musty and dusty.
Indoor air pollution can be from two to five times higher than it is outdoors and sometimes even one hundred times higher, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The culprits are many: smoke, dust, pet dander, mold, viruses and bacteria. They may be invisible but the problems they cause are obvious–allergies, asthma and respiratory infections.
Manufacturers are creating an arsenal of new products, including air purifiers and specially engineered filters for heating and cooling systems, to launch the battle against these home invaders.
Contaminants are also sneaking into the tap water. New ones that should cause concern are regularly being added to the list. “Every few years something bubbles up into the public consciousness,” says Dave Marsh, marketing manager for Culligan. “A few years ago, it was cryptosporidium bacteria cysts that cause intestinal flu-like symptoms and can be fatal to people with weakened immune systems, and now MTBE [methyl tertiary-butyl ether, an additive used in reformulated gasoline] is the chemical du jour.”
Marsh points out, “Consumers spend more time thinking about buying a melon or a tomato that they will eat on occasion than they do about the water they consume every day. Not everyone has MTBE in their water, but we are encouraging consumers to become more educated about what is in their water.”
Manufacturers are creating convenient solutions for removing the impurities from water. “People are tending more toward installing filtration systems in their homes today rather than buying bottled water the way they did in the past,” says Chera Ellis, assistant product manager at Sta-Rite, which manufactures products under the Omnifilter brand.
Here is a sampling of products designed to create a healthy indoor environment, along with suggested retail prices.
– Silent comfort. The Enviracaire Silent Comfort Air Cleaner has several advantages. First of all it has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that, according to the manufacturer, will remove at least 99.97 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns from the air. These are the minuscule pollutants, such as pollen, tobacco smoke, cat dander, household dust and mold spores, that cause or aggravate allergies. Since people often complain that portable air cleaners are too noisy, Honeywell has eliminated the noisy exhaust draft. The air cleanerhas a built-in electronic indicator that signals when it is time to change the filter. Price: $179. Honeywell Inc., 250 Turnpike Rd., Southborough, MA 01772. Phone: 800-332-1110.
– Allergy relief. A new filter designed to bring relief to allergy sufferers has been added to 3M’s Filtrete series for heating and air-conditioning systems. The Ultra Allergen Reduction Filter has electrostatically charged fibers that work like magnets to capture up to 90 percent of mold spores and pet dander from the air that passes through it. It also acts as a barrier to particles of dust, smoke and smog as well as those that can carry viruses, all without significantly reducing the air flow. The Ultra Allergen meets guidelines for indoor air quality defined by the American Lung Association. Price: $14.99. 3M Product Information, 3M Center, Building 304-01-01, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000; call 800-388-3458.
– Gentle reminder. Some filters in central heating and air conditioning systems need to be changed every 30 days, while others should be replaced every 60 or 90 days. Yet homeowners tend to change them only twice a year, in the fall and spring. Since dirty filters make the furnace or air conditioner work harder, which leads not only to paying higher energy bills but to breathing unhealthy air, American Air Filter has created the Dust Watch to remind people when the filter needs to be changed. This digital timer can be set to count down the days to the time when a new filter is due. Price: $4.99. American Air Filter, P.O. Box 35690, Louisville, KY 40232-5690; call 800-927-6789.
– Clean water. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is an oxygenated fuel additive that is used in reformulated gasoline to reduce the emissions of automobiles, but it is turning up in unwanted places as well. When gasoline spills or when it leaks from storage tanks, when it is emitted by boat engines and even carried by rain, it can get into the drinking water. MTBE may be a human carcinogen when ingested in high concentrations and repeated exposure to it can produce symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritations, headaches and dizziness. Culligan has created an activated carbon filter that removes about 90 percent of MTBE in water supplies. In addition, the filter eliminates significant amounts of many other contaminants such as cryptosporidium, lead, certain pesticides, herbicides and other organic chemicals, chlorine, asbestos and mercury. The filter includes a two-unit system, which includes an under-the-sink unit and a separate faucet. Price: $135. Culligan, 502 Indiana Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53982-1047; call 800-634-1455.
– Small world. The Omni LN3 from Omnifilter is a water filter that is small enough to fit behind most faucets without the need to cut any pipes to install it. Its carbon block filter removes rust and sediment, 99 percent of chlorine and lead, as well as cryptosporidium and giardia cysts. Omnifilter also offers model CBF20, which reduces contaminants such as MTBE, mercury, asbestos and volatile organic chemicals. Its filter cartridge needs to be changed after 750 gallons or about up to every six months. The system includes one undersink unit, a faucet equipped with an LED indicator that signals with a blinking light and a beeping sound when it is time to change the filter, and material for installation. Price: $31.99 for the LN3, $100 for the CBF20. Omnifilter, 2500 165th St., Hammond, IN; call 800-937-6664.
– Shower filter. Since chlorine in the water can dry out the skin, scalp and hair, Waterpik has created a shower filter that reportedly eliminates up to 98 percent of chlorine. Not only will the skin, scalp and hair be softer when washed with water from this shower head, in addition soap scum and build-up of calcium from hard water on shower walls and doors will be reduced. This filter has been combined with the shower-massage showerhead, which features four settings and 60 spray channels. It attaches to standard shower arms. Price: $39.99. Waterpik Technologies, Inc., 1730 E. Prospect Rd., Ft. Collins, CO 80533-0001; call 800-766-4283.
