Are expensive air purifiers in India necessarily more effective?

by Amili R. SEO

With the start of winter season bringing its general blanket of pollution-related dejection over the skies in Northern parts of India, the discussion in Delhi, the second-most polluted city in the world, hovers back to the question of how to handle pollution, both indoors and outdoors.

In the past two years, this discussion has resulted in the growth of a thriving market of air purifiers for air pollution in the national capital.

As per a recent report, the total market worth sits nearly anything from INR 600 crores to INR 700 crores in India. The market has witnessed nearly 40% growth over the past year with Delhi-NCR becoming the biggest consumers.

If believed on advertisements, the top-rated air purifiers in India claim to eliminate 99.7% pollutants from the air, including particulate matter measuring 0.1 microns across, and a range of viruses – with the help of High-Efficiency Particulate Air technology, commonly known as HEPA.

These filters are categories either on a numeric base such as HEPA-11, HEPA-12 and so on till HEPA-18 – the higher the number, the more efficient the purifier is, or on the basis of types like HEPA type-A, HEPA type-B and so on, each of which has unique specifications.

However, the HEPA filter used in even the best air purifier for air pollution will need to be replaced regularly. According to research, the lifespan of a HEPA-13 filter – the most common type – in Delhi is anything between two and four months. Replacements are not cheap with leading brands charging Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 for each replacement.

The sprawling market of air purifiers primarily capitalizes on the fear of different health concerns posed by the rising level of air pollution and lack of awareness among the public on the same.

Do keep in mind that an effective air cleanser would have a HEPA filter, a pre-filter to treat the large particulate matter, and an optional activated carbon filter.

According to experts, it is generally the lack of awareness that can be blamed for the perception of people that inexpensive air purifiers are ineffective. The same assumption was there in Beijing too, but things changed over the past two years.

The danger of air pollution has been utilized economic benefits and has successfully resulted in creating a thriving market for the commodity. Though the government has launched several initiatives to make users aware of rising air pollution and its repercussions on human health. But, still, there is a lot that needs to be done in this regard.

The operating efficiency of an air-cleaning device also depends on how airtight space was. However, spending excessive amounts of time inside a closed space, which lacks oxygen, can cause fatigue, and other health concerns.

Unless an individual spends the entire day with an air purifier, which seems nearly impossible, it doesn’t work well. When a person gets exposed to a pollutant, let’s say PM 2.5, it gets settled deep in the lungs of the person. Once this takes place, spending a few hours in a room with an air purifier is found to be ineffective.