Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Yeah, Brookstone? I'd Like To Make A Return...

HAHAHAHA!

In a delicious little piece of environmental irony, the National Science Foundation released the results of a study that finds the use of indoor air purifiers actually causes smog!

The purifiers that use the "ionization" process to remove particles, dust and allergens from the air release ozone as a byproduct! In small, poorly ventilated rooms, (thus the need for an air purifier) this can lead to unhealthy concentrations. In other words, you will have indoor smog.

In some cases, ozone levels were 90 parts per billion; the equivalent of a Stage 2 Smog Alert on a hot summer day.

Of course, California lawmakers have decided to legislate stricter emissions requirements from the ionizers, rather than just let capitalism work, and let the folks quit buying them.

The EPA fact sheet says:
"Available scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants. Some manufacturers or vendors suggest that ozone will render almost every chemical contaminant harmless by producing a chemical reaction whose only by-products are carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. This is misleading."

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