A thing I really wish would catch on is people actually leaving their windows open to get proper ventilation of their living spaces.
Air purifiers seems like a great idea, but if the outside is the safest place in terms of the virus, bringing the outside in to you seems like a no-brainer.
In general, I'd say outdoor air beats indoor air probably 99 times out of 100.
It is all about virion particles per cubic meter (similar to how they classify class ## cleanrooms for the semiconductor, but in that case they talk about dust particles).
Outdoor air works through dilution (‘the solution to pollution is dilution’ is the phrase often used).
Indoor air being purified is often much cleaner than outdoor air (assuming CO2 levels are not of any concern), this is especially true during wildfire season.
If you purchase a PM2.5 sensor and put it in your kitchen while you make toast, you will be shocked. (do this with and without an air purifier near by to be calmed :))
Curious what if any effect that would have over here in Iowa. I would guess negligible, but we do get high-level haze occasionally when there are wildfires in Canada.
> If you purchase a PM2.5 sensor
I have been curious about these in the past. Do you have any recommendations? I couldn't find enough info to feel comfortable that whatever I bought might actually tell me useful things.
> Indoor air being purified is often much cleaner than outdoor air
As a more or less believer in the Hygiene Hypothesis [1], I'm not convinced that this is a good thing. But I guess also most people don't have purified air in their homes so purified stale air is probably better than just regular stale air.
It can be connected to a computer to record particle counts long term using the included Windows software.
Useful for seeing that your Hepa air purifier is actually working. There are many brands of hand held instruments for use with HVAC systems. Their cost ranges from $100 on eBay up to several thousand dollars for high end instruments that can measure many particles sizes. They generally are not meant to be left on to take measurements over days though. There are also professional weather instruments that use a laser to count particles in the air outdoors.
Ideally people would be outside more if the air is good. When they have to be indoors, it is better to purify so we aren’t being exposed to ‘unnatural’ environments, i.e. lots of skin flakes floating around with dust mites, etc.
Also, many people in South America have shortened lives because they are indoors with wood burning stoves that are giving them lung cancer.
Air purifiers seems like a great idea, but if the outside is the safest place in terms of the virus, bringing the outside in to you seems like a no-brainer.
In general, I'd say outdoor air beats indoor air probably 99 times out of 100.