With the growing issue of global air pollution, the market is offering more and more air purifiers. Devices which until recently resembled big and bulky boxes are now becoming miniaturised. Researchers are already working on innovative curtains which filter the air inside the room. Producers are also trying to outdo one another to introduce more and more modern air cleaning technologies.
“Puripot is a personal air purifier which does not require a filter. Instead, we use photocatalysis – a technology in which blue light eliminates chemical pollution, viruses, bacteria, odours and floating elements. Conventional photocatalytic technologies use ultraviolet light, which releases ozone and is harmful to eyes. We use visible light which does not harm our senses,” Gunhee Jun from Dadam Micro told Newseria Innowacje agency.
Air purifiers have nearly become a necessity considering today’s air, particularly in bigger cities. What’s important, cleaning of air is also becoming trendy and the biggest tech companies are trying to enter this market as well. Apple’s Wynd Plus Smart Personal Air Purifier has been designed for cleaning air on a desk at work. Slightly bigger than a mug, this device has been designed to create a bubble of clean air around it. It contains a filter stopping dust, bacteria, pet hair and industrial pollution and once paired with an iPhone, it may be controlled via a mobile application.
LG designers have taken a slightly different road and decided to create a portable purifier resembling classic Bluetooth speakers. LG PuriCare Mini Air Purifier was granted the Korea Air Cleaning Association’s certificate, it weighs only 530 grams and is able to operate up to eight hours straight on a single fully charged battery. The device was designed for frequent travellers who would like to have a compact air purifier at hand at any time, for instance, in a car or during a business meeting in a café.
Dadam Micro’s purifier has also been designed to operate in an enclosed space. Its unique construction, where a classic particle filter was replaced with a water tank, made the cleaning system extremely simple and small. Puripot is as compact as Wynd Plus, and due to its low power consumption, may be powered by a USB port in your laptop. The device has a big 10,000 mAh battery and therefore, is able to operate over 20 hours without charging.
“In a typical home we are exposed to a number of chemical substances and multiple potential sources of harmful gaseous substances produced, for instance, when preparing meals. To that we may add pets and various unpleasant smells. All these substances negatively affect our health, and this is why we need air purifiers,” explains Gunhee Jun.
Those who need a comprehensive, large-room air-purifying system Xiaomi created a slim, ceiling-mounted Mi Air Purifier, with an integrated ventilation system. After mounting a special vent cover, a pipe and cleaning filters, this Xiaomi device will ventilate your apartment without opening windows.
GUNRID curtains are something that may become a real breakthrough in the air purifying sector. They are being developed by Ikea designers. In cooperation with scientists and engineers the company created a prototype material capable of absorbing odours and formaldehydes. Curtains with a photocatalytic layer attached to the fabric clean the air using light and photosynthesis. The layer is also activated by artificial light so the air is purified also after dusk.
“In other words, photocatalysis is light and catalysis. In our case, the former is blue light while the catalyser is titanium dioxide. The combination of the two produces chemical substances called free radicals, which kill bacteria and decompose them to produce water and carbon dioxide,” explains the expert.
In the era of growing air pollution, purifying systems will be enjoying greater and greater popularity, also in Poland. According to the latest report of the European Environment Agency, Poland is one of the most polluted European countries. Between 2013 and 2016, increased concentration of NO2 led to the death of 1,700 people in Poland and as many as 44,500 people died because of smog. We are also Europe’s leader in benzo(a)pyrene pollution of air.
Analysts from the Allied Market Research company estimated that the global market of smart air purifiers will grow from 4.5 bn USD in 2017 up to 11.5 bn USD in 2025. During that period the industry will be growing over 12 per cent each year.[1]
[1] https://innowacje.newseria.pl/news/urzadzenia-do,p1971745967
Source: Newseria.pl
