Introduction
What are Air purifiers?
Air purifiers are modern, often remotely operable air cleaning machines. They serve the purpose of snuffing out, filtering, and absorbing harmful vapors, particles, contaminants, and allergens from the air.
They are primarily used indoors and come in various sizes and have high-tech filters installed that work in tandem with other electrical and mechanical parts to purify the air making indoors healthy to breathe.
What is Hawaii’s Air like?
Located about 2000 miles from the US mainland, Hawaii enjoys a rather temperate and excellent quality of air compared to many other cities. Due to the proximity of the state to the Pacific Ocean, there is a constant flow of fresh clean air.
The location of Hawaii places it in the route of the northeast trade winds that fleet across the state from the east. These winds keep the temperatures generally warm, tropical, and pleasant. The winds are frequent and sweep away most of the air pollutants maintaining clean air throughout the year.
There is, however, the concerning factor of humidity, which is relatively high, ranging from 60% to 90% throughout the year. This makes the air heavy and offers a conducive environment for many allergens to nurture and grow.
The most concerning challenge to the air quality is the threatening volcanic activity of the many volcanoes, particularly the Kilauea, present in Hawaii. These volcanoes release large amounts of Sulphur dioxide and other particulate matter and pollutants which compromise the air quality of the regions.
In the article that follows, we will discuss the other leading factors that affect the air quality of this tropical haven. We will also discuss how the air quality can be improved with modern air purifiers. and load you up with information about air purifiers to help you make a choice in buying one. Read on.
Factors affecting air quality in Hawaii
The air quality of Hawaii is predominantly influenced by the following factors:
The Geographical Location
The geographical location of Hawaii can be declared as one of the biggest factors that helps maintain a good quality of air despite there being dangerous volcanoes present. There is an appreciable distance from the urban centers and industrial hubs which makes the air quality appreciably clean.
Trade Winds
The strong, constantly flowing trade winds also assist in keeping the air pollutants-free. In summer, the airspeed ranges from 10-25 mph on average which easily prevents the accumulation of debris, dust, pollen, and other allergens.
Volcanic Activity
The most significant threat to the air quality of Hawaii is the Kilauea, which is often touted as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. It emits an estimated 2000 tons of Sulphur dioxide during each sustained eruption. It also gives rise to other pollutants such as VOG and contributes to acid rain.
Urban Development and Activity
Hawaii is one of the most densely populated states in the US ranking at the 13th spot. This results in heavy human activity such as industries, traffic, construction, etc. An estimated 490,791000 gallons of fuel were consumed in 2016 by transportation adding a dangerous amount of pollutants.
Health effects of poor air quality
There are some serious life-threatening risks associated with poor air quality.
Respiratory Problems
Poor air quality has a severe brunt on health. It can lead to long-term and short-term problems and the consequences can range from casual coughing to death.
Contaminants for polluted air take the respiratory route to enter the body. Pollutants like Particulate matter, dust, ozone, etc. can deposit and accumulate in the respiratory column. This can cause severe damage to cells and the respiratory tract, and further lead to fatal diseases like lung cancer and asthma.
Cardiovascular Problems
Air pollution can be equally fatal to the cardiovascular system. Foul air tends to disrupt the white blood cell count which has a direct link with cardiovascular function. Furthermore, there has been a link observed between poor quality air and hypertension and NO2 and left ventricular hypertrophy.
Allergies and asthma
Poor air quality is always threatening for people with asthma and allergies. Asthma is usually triggered by the inflammation of the airways. Studies conducted have shown that NO2 exposure can upscale the response to allergens in asthmatic patients.
There was a notable link seen in the research of aggravated asthma symptoms and traffic-related air contamination in Mexico. Also, ozone, which is a common contaminant in the air has been shown to worsen asthma effects and negatively trigger and cause respiratory infections.
Particulate matter, which is another contaminant that influences air quality, tends to have fatal effects on the health of the lungs and has been linked with allergic respiratory disorders.
An example is the particles emitted from diesel exhaust. These particles can be sized at 0.2 µm in diameter. This size of particles tends to easily deposit in the lungs which can be fatal for an asthmatic individual.
Even though the general air quality of Hawaii is relatively good, there are still looming threats like the Kilauea volcano and the growing urban population which puts air quality at risk. A smart preemptive measure will be to invest in a good quality air purifier for your household or office, especially if one is prone to respiratory allergies or asthma.
Benefits of air purifiers
Among the many benefits of air purifiers, the following are the most significant ones:
Eliminates Harmful Pollutants
Air purifiers can enhance the breathability of your space and can be a lifesaver for asthmatic individuals.
They are equipped with high-tech filters and meshes that effectively trap and remove debris, dust, and other solid contaminants from the air. There is a wide range of purifiers available for you to choose from.
You can opt for one that specializes in removing solid particles like dust and pollen. If you are dealing with noxious vapors and foul odors, you can easily get one that can suck out the gaseous contaminants from your air.
Improves Indoor Air Quality
Air filters are best for people who spend an excessive amount of their time indoors. Since they don’t visit the outdoors to get fresh clean air often, they can simply use an air purifier to clean the air indoors.
Air purifiers improve the quality of indoor air by even filtering out pollutants that might need a little exercise or a round of fresh air.
Reduce Health Risks
Furthermore, as discussed above, our air is usually contaminated with toxic contaminants released from the fuels and other sources that we use. These contaminants can lead to life-threatening complications such as cardiovascular problems or respiratory infections.
Air purifiers pluck out those pollutants from the air, which might have invaded your respiratory systems and caused you long-term health complications such as lung cancer and various lung infections. This can be relieving for people who are health nuts and easily stressed by growing health concerns.
Relieving against allergies
There are specialized air purifiers that specifically target and trap particles like Pollen, dust, and other allergens which are notorious for triggering allergies and asthma symptoms. These purifiers can help vacuum out these particles from the surrounding air. leaving clean and relieving air to breathe.
All of these make air purifiers a must-have for everyone who wishes to live and breathe in a healthy and stress-free environment.
Types of air purifiers
Since there is a whole wide range of purifiers to choose from, understanding them and making a choice can become difficult. This information will give you a head start.
HEPA filters
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are the most recommended type of air purifier. They house a mesh made of a dense, fibrous material that entraps airborne particles as minuscule as 0.3 microns.
This allows these filters to trap the smallest particles such as pollen, dust mites, smoke, pet-dander, etc. It is often claimed that HEPA filters can collect 99.97% of the particles which might explain their popularity.
Activated carbon filters
Activated carbon filters make use of a porous material lined with activated carbon that sponges pollutants and odors from the air. These filters are primarily effective in removing any kind of gaseous or vaporized contaminant from the air.
They are used to eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs), cigarette smoke, and other odors from the air. They are also paired with HEPA filters to enhance the air purification process. They make an ideal selection for people residing near the Kilauea volcano.
UV-C light purifiers
These purifiers take air purification to a much smaller level. They make use of ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that might be present in the air.
They specifically target microscopic germs and allergens such as bacteria and damage their DNA and RNA. This inhibits their reproduction and limits them from spreading viral infections and airborne diseases that are often contagious.
Ionic purifiers
Ionic purifiers charge the particles in the air with a small electric current resulting in the particles accumulating a charge and acting as an ion. Once ionized, these particles are pulled into the purifiers and trapped as they cling to the oppositely charged plates installed in the air purifier.
The risk with these kinds of purifiers is that they might end up producing ozone, which is a kind of air contaminant and can be lethal for human health if it exceeds a certain concentration.
Hybrid Purifiers
These purifiers offer a somewhat customizable option for people to choose from. Basically, hybrid purifiers combine two or more two air purifying techniques to offer a more elaborate air purification system.
For example, you can find a hybrid purifier with HEPA and activated carbon filter which can be engaged to clean the air from solid and gaseous particles. Or you might buy one which pairs a HEPA filter with UV lights that can tackle both the solid particles and the microscopic pollutants in your surrounding air.
Thus, hybrid purifiers can offer a more comprehensive air cleaning solution and can be useful for those who live near a place that is affected by pollution of various sorts, like an urban center or an industrial zone.
There is no definite correct choice when it comes to picking an air purifier. The choice can depend on the size of the room, the commonly found air contaminant in your vicinity, and your, of course, personal preference.
Conclusion
Hawaii is a must-visit state. On one hand, it has a history worth exploring, on the other it is touted as the birthplace of adrenaline sports such as paddle boarding. This makes it ideal for history nuts and adrenaline junkies alike.
However, it is a rapidly developing nation with a diversified industry that attracts many businesses. This has led to an increase in human activity and subsequently to air pollution that must be curtailed.
Air purifiers will come in handy to make indoors livable as the city grows. Also, for those living in the areas near the Kilauea, in homes, hotels, and resorts, air purifiers are a must-have as the volcano is unpredictable and almost always spews noxious gases.
Moreover, since Hawaii is a highly hospitable state, with sky-high mountains, breathtaking beaches, and relatively clean air, it is necessary that measures be taken to keep a check on urban growth and encourage practices to keep the air clean.