Protecting Families From Indoor Pollutants (NAPSA)—You may be able to help your family breathe cleaner, fresher air by remembering a simple fact: Air pollution doesn’t alwaysstay outdoors. Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that reduced air circulation can causelevels of air pollution inside your hometo be twoto five times higher—and occasionally as much as 100 times higher— than outdoor levels. That may be one reason the American Lung Association says approximately 160 million Americans are breathing unhealthy air, with children andseniors most at risk of developing related health problems. One wayto keep the air in your home cleaner is with an air purifier, which can help reduce microscopic airborne particles that contribute to poor indoor air quality. But which purifier is best for you—and your pocketbook? Here’s a closerlook: Purifiers called True HEPA are largely considered the “gold standard” in air purification. They capture 99.97 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns from the air passing through their filters. The purifiers also feature permanent HEPAfilters that can be vacuumed to clean—eliminating expensivefilter replacement. With their germ-fighting capabilities and particle reduction performance, the purifiers can be a good choice for people suffering from symptoms relating to airborne allergies or asthma. They can also be helpful in reducing common household particles such as smoke, dust, pollen, mold spores and pet dander. For consumers on tighter budgets, HEPA-type, or Honeywell HepaClean, air purifiers can greatly improve indoorair quality at lower price points, with some available for less than $40. These Even when your home is clean, your indoor air can bedirty. air purifiers are efficient at capturing 99 percent of the particles, two microns or larger (or 40 times smaller than the width of a strand of human hair), that pass through the filters. These products are a good option for consumers looking for general air-cleaning capability or those who maysuffer from mild seasonalallergies. For general, all-around air purification and particle reduction, the new Honeywell QuietClean air purifiers with ifD filter technology can be a good choice. They provide HEPA performance with the ease of quiet, permanent, washable, electronic filters. Effective at capturing 99 percent of microscopic particles as small as 0.3 microns, the purifiers use a fan to circulate the air in a room andforce it through filter, effectively and quietly circulating the air several times each hour. They can be good for light sleepers and those with mild seasonal allergies who are looking for general aircleaning capability. Honeywell air purifier products, manufactured by Kaz, Inc., are available at major retailers such as Target and The Home Depot. For more information, visit www.kaz.com. There, con- sumers can also see a video on how air purifiers can improve indoorair quality.
