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THE CLEAN
AIR STORY
The Facts concerning
Indoor Air Pollution....
its Problems, the Reasons & our Solutions
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INDEX TO THE FOLLOWING
SUBJECTS:
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INTRODUCTION
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
SOME POLLUTANTS, THEIR SOURCES &
SYMPTOMS
HOW DOES INDOOR AIR POLLUTION AFFECTS YOUR
BODY?
LIMITATIONS OF AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS
MEDIA FILTERS & ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANERS
AIR PURIFICATION - THE NATURAL WAY
LIVING AIR PURIFCATION - HOW IT WORKS
THE LIVING AIR WAY TO CLEAN AIR
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INTRODUTCION
The average person spends 90% of their time indoors.
During the energy crisis in the 1970s, building construction
practices changed – Homes, offices, schools and all types of buildings
are now insulated and sealed more tightly. This saves energy, but also
caused pollutants to be trapped indoors.
Tightly Constructed Buildings Don’t Breathe …
* There is little or no air exchange
* Indoor air is re-circulated
* Air pollution is trapped indoor!
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Government Agencies rate INDOOR AIR
POLLUTION as the nation’s biggest pollution problem.
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This often creates a Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
in its occupants. The following are symptoms of SBS....
* Air freshener has to be used to make bad air smells pleasant (i.e.
trying to conceal bad air)
* Occupants frequently fall sick
* Occupants have persistent allergy and/or headaches or unexplained
physical ailments
* Occupants are depressed indoor, but alert and happy once outside the
building
* Occupants are easily tired
Here are some pollutant sources encountered indoors....
Clothing –
Pollens, oils (from smoke), gases, other allergens and odors which attach
themselves to the fabric. Once indoors, clothing releases allergens,
gases and odors into the air…
Furnishings –
New carpeting, drapes, furniture and upholstery emit chemical fumes,
noxious gases and odors…
Construction Materials –
Paints, plywood, particle board (from cabinets, furniture, paneling)
emit chemical fumes, noxious gases and odors.
Home/Office Cleaning Products –
Furniture polishes, ammonia and other cleaning products emit chemical
fumes, noxious gases and odors.
Heating/Cooling Systems –
Ductwork gathers dust and moisture, creating mold and mold spores,
and hosting bacteria and dust mites, and circulates dust, mold spores,
bacteria and dust mite throughout the building.
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INDOOR
AIR POLLUTANTS
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DUST
Did you know... 42,000 dust mites can live in only one
ounce of dust! Forty pounds of dust generated per year per 1,500 square
feet of space, hosting 15 species of dust mites! Airborne fragments
cause eye irritation, allergies, eye-nose-throat infections, asthma
attacks, fatigue and depression.
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BACTERIA
Did you know? Bacteria are found in your heating and cooling
system, house pets, garbage, bathrooms – everywhere in your home (and
office)! They cause colds, flu, respiratory infections, eye infections…
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MOLD SPORES
Did you know... Mold spores are found in your heating and
cooling system, in damp clothing, cleaning materials and the moisture
in your ceilings, wall, carpets, drapes… They cause allergies, sinus,
headaches, irritability, fatigue and depression.
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Some Pollutants,
Their Sources & Symptoms ...
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Pollutants / Sources
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Symptoms
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Benzene from paint, new carpets, new drapes, upholstery
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Headaches, eye/skin irritation, fatigue, cancer
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Ammonia from tobacco smoke, cleaning supplies
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Eye/skin irritation, headaches, nose- bleeds, sinus problems
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Chloroform from paints, new carpets, new drapes,
upholstery
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Headaches, asthma attacks, eye/skin irritation, dizziness
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Formaldehyde from tobacco smoke, plywood, cabinets,
furniture, particle board, office dividers, new carpets, new drapes,
wallpaper, paneling
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Headaches, eye/skin irritation, drowsiness, fatigue, respiratory
problems, memory loss, depression, gynecological problems, cancer
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Benzopyrene from tobacco smoke
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Asthma attacks, eye/skin irritation, sinus problems, lung
cancer
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Hydrocarbons from tobacco smoke, gas burners, furnaces
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Headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, breathing difficulty
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Trichlorethylene from paints, glues, furniture,
wallpaper
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Headaches, eye/skin & respiratory irritation
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Carbon Tetrachloride from paints, new drapes, new
carpets, cleaning supplies
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Headaches, dizziness, fatigue
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How Does Indoor
Air Pollution Affect Your Body?
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EYE & NASAL IRRITANTS
Sulphur dioxide (lethal poison), ammonia, acrolein (in tobacco smoke,
a carcinogen), benzene (carcinogen), formaldehyde, pollen, mold spores,
dust, dust mites, bacteria…
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POISONS
Cyanide (from tobacco smoke), hydrocarbons (tobacco smoke and other
combustions), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide.
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BRONCHIAL CONSTRICTORS
Sulphur dioxide (lethal poison), ammonia, allergens, bacteria…
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CARCINOGENS
Acrolein, benzene, chloroform*, *carbon tetrachloride.
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PULMONARY IRRITANTS
Chloroform (lethal poison, suspected carcinogen), nitrogen dioxide (lethal
poison),styrene, formaldehyde, small particulates, bacteria…
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ASPHYXIANT
Hydrocarbons
(* Suspected)
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Limitations of
Air Filtration Systems
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LOCALIZED AREA UNITS
(Media Filter)
Only the air that is filtered is affected.
Air trapped in furniture, upholstery, or other fabrics does not get
filtered nearly as often, and sometimes, not at all.
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WHOLE BUILDING UNITS
(Media Filter or Electronic Air Cleaner)
The only air that gets "filtered" is the air which is actually drawn
through the unit. "Dirty" air constantly invades the space.
Recirculates the same air and does not get the trapped air in furniture,
fabrics, etc.
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Media Filters
& Electronic Air Cleaners
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TYPICAL GLASS FIBER FILTER
Traps larger particulates with better efficiency than small matter.
To permit air-flow, it must permit some pollutants to pass through.
Fiber Filter typically only stop about HALF of the smoke, dust and bacteria
in the air. (HEPA filters boast over 90% efficiency and still leave
about 1/3 of the smoke and dust particulates in the air that goes through
it.)
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ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER
Designed to trap smaller particulates amd some gases - the higher density
the filter, the slower the air-flow, manufacturers compromise on filtering
efficiency. Many gases and odors, and 1/3 to 1/2 of the smoke and dust
particulates still get through.
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Both types of filters get clogged, reduce efficiency and air flow,
and must be replaced often.
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ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANERS
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Both types have the same major drawbacks:
1. Air filtration systems only affect the air that passes through them.
Much of the air in your building does not get to the filter on a regular
basis.
2. Filters have to be CLEANED or REPLACED regularly. They get clogged,
reduce air flow, lose efficiency and make the blower motor work harder.
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Together, activated oxygen and negative ions both clean
and purify the air - naturally!
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The LIVING AIR
WAY - "Thunderstorm-in-a-box"
To Clean Air
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How Does Living Air Work?
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Activated Oxygen....
Seeps into crevices, carpets, drapes, furniture, and under beds where
normal air currents are minimal or non-existant.
Negative Ions....
Are generated in the air by special radio waves which travel up to 60
feet in all directions from the unit, through walls and ceilings. (The
waves will not penetrate metal surfaces.) The Negative Ions are not
dependent upon air-flow or circulation.
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