Portable air purifiers help eliminate viruses, pollution in homes, offices

It’s easy to point the finger at big coal companies when it comes to air pollution, but how much are we doing ourselves to clean the air we breathe? Take a look at a new portable device which promises to combat viruses and irritants.

It’s easy to point the finger at big coal companies when it comes to air pollution, but how much are we doing ourselves to clean the air we breathe?

Outdoors, the pollution from bushfires, petrol and diesel fumes, and smoke from coal and industry is obvious. Indoors the source of our own pollution might not be as apparent.

Our cooking, cleaning and even sweeping the floor can create a ‘chemical soup’ indoors which can result in coughing, sneezing or far more seriously the creation of tiny particles which can penetrate into the lower reaches of the lung.

Airborne particles, gases, chemicals, mould and other pollutants can cause headaches, eye irritation, allergies and fatigue.

Serious pollutants can cause certain types of cancers and other long-term health complications.

Asthma alone affects about one in nine Australians, around 2.7 million people.

Panasonic recently hosted a session on indoor air quality including expert Brad Prezant, a certified industrial hygienist, second from right.

With most of us working indoors, and spending hours in offices or home offices, paying more attention to the air circulation through our buildings, including through heat ing and airconditioning, makes good sense.

Spend some time listening to Brad Prezant, a certified industrial hygienist with a speciality in indoor air quality, and you’ll soon be asking more questions about your building’s air quality.

He says pollution inside our homes and offices can be carried through the blood stream to our organs and produce diseases such as cancer.

“We are not talking about a small number of illnesses here we are talking about 3 million premature deaths each year,’’ he says of the global problem.

Even normal cooking processes produce pollutants, as do the use of chlorine, bleach, ammonia and sprays.

“These can all create a chemical soup indoors,’’ Mr Prezant says.

The portable Panasonic air purifier can be plugged into a laptop.

While he says there have been big steps in reducing pollution, including removing lead from products, there was much more to do, even in places like Australia, Europe and the United States.

He says there are some practical things we can all do including cleaningwith a hepa-filter vacuum instead of sweeping, managing moisture in the home, ensuring proper ventilation when cooking, and closing windows and doors during a bushfire or other high pollution events.

Mr Prezant was speaking at a discussion organised by Panasonic Australia as part of a clean air initiative to create better awareness of air quality in homes, offices, hospitals, aged care centres.

Panasonic has spent 25 years developing its nanoe X technology that inhibits indoor pollutants and odours through its airconditioning systems.

The technology inhibits up to 99% of indoor pollutants such as viruses, bacteria, mould and allergens.

Panasonic's portable air cleaner retails for $299.

A small electrode inside the generator produces about 4.8 trillion nanoe particles per second which attach to airborne and surface-based pollutants to inhibit them.

Last month, the tech giant launched a portable version of the product to the Australian market, which can be used by office workers or even commuters to clean the air around them.

The $299 device, which looks like a travel mug and weighs just 400 grams, can be plugged into a USB port in a car or laptop, to provide protection on the go, whether in your own car or a cab.

Panasonic has partnered with flex space provider, Hub Australia, which has a national network of spaces, to drive awareness of the importance of air quality in the workplace, especially as businesses move toward a mobilised and hybrid working model.

Joe De Bella, senior product marketing manager, airconditioning at Panasonic Australia said new research shows that around one in three Australians aged 20+ are now more concerned about air quality compared to 18 months ago.

Joe De Bella, senior product marketing manager, airconditioning at Panasonic Australia said new research shows that around one in three Australians aged 20+ are now more concerned about air quality compared to 18 months ago.

“It’s positive that we as a population are taking notice of the harmful pollutants, we breathe each day and it is something that will continue to be front of mind as we battle variants of COVID-19, annual flu seasons, pollution, and the close-to-home threat of bushfires.”

De Bella said the research reflected the demand for air cleanliness, with one in three Australians considering purchasing air purifiers in the future.

“Around one in two Australians consider air cleanliness/purification to be a very important factor, while one in four rank it most important when thinking about purchasing a new air conditioner.”

Originally published as Portable air purifiers help eliminate viruses, pollution in homes, offices