The Best Air Purifiers for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

When people think of air purifiers, their first thought normally has to do with allergies, and many of those are tough to manage. But for somebody with multiple chemical sensitivities, the task of cleaning the air they breathe is a great deal more complicated even than that.

Multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS, arises when an individual has had either a severe and somewhat sudden contact with toxic chemicals, or else prolonged exposure to something less extreme. So a big chemical spill from a neighboring train derailment may be an initial cause, while the illness could also arise from something like long-term work with strong-smelling cleaning supplies.

Once this sensitivity has been set off, it spreads to include other irritants as well. So the individual could then become sensitive to things like paint fumes, the smells from new furniture and off-gassing from carpets. The sensitivity then starts to manifest itself in such symptoms as nausea, migraines, difficulty with breathing, and more. For some reason yet undiscovered, this type of condition has an effect on more women than men, though it can transpire for both.

The thing to remember when hunting for an air purifier to help with MCS is that it primarily has to have the ability to grab those annoying chemicals out of the air. So purifiers like those with a HEPA filter, while they are likely to work best for allergy-based problems, would not be as beneficial for chemical sensitivities.

One effective system for dealing with chemicals is an activated carbon filter. This works at the molecular level, to transform gaseous chemical molecules into a solid form, and then catch them in the carbon. But as the Allergy Consumer Review website points out, particular types of carbon filters are better than others. The kind that appears to be most effective seems to be the granular kind. The Allergy Consumer Review also mentions that coconut-based carbon filters may set off other allergies, and should also be avoided when possible.

Even a granular carbon filter cannot contend with every chemical; for example, it does not work with formaldehyde or hydrogen sulfide. So the best purifiers mix activated carbon with a chemically active compound of aluminum oxide.

The next issue encountered by MCS sufferers is that the very chemicals they are so sensitive to are frequently what goes into producing the air purifiers themselves. Even the fan motors will need to be free of varnish. And in the route the air takes as it passes through the purifier, it needs to pass the fan before it goes through the gas filter, instead of the other way around. If the fan is positioned first, then the filter can still do away with the chemicals that it and the motor generate.

It’s tremendously challenging for someone with MCS to find an air purifier that does not contain or generate the very chemicals it’s supposed to help with. However the Allergy Consumer Review site does suggest the IQAir GC Series of purifiers as the best available choice.

There are a number of different technologies to be found in air purifiers, from the HEPA filter to the ionic air purifier. Discover how to get the the right technology for your situation at Home Air Purifiers: The Facts.