Effects of the Use of Air Purifier on Indoor Environment and Respiratory System among Healthy Adults

Yoshiko Yoda, Kenji Tamura, Sho Adachi, Naruhito Otani, Shoji F. Nakayama and Masayuki Shima
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Yoshiko Yoda: Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Japan
Kenji Tamura: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
Sho Adachi: Hyogo Regional Center of Japan Environment and Children’s Study, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Japan
Naruhito Otani: Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Japan
Shoji F. Nakayama: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
Masayuki Shima: Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-11

Abstract: Air purifiers have become popular among ordinary families. However, it remains controversial whether indoor air purification improves the respiratory health of healthy adults. A randomized crossover intervention study was conducted with 32 healthy individuals. The subjects were categorized into two groups. One group continuously used true air purifiers, and the other followed with sham air purifiers for 4 weeks. Following this first intervention, all the subjects underwent a 4-week washout period and continued with the second 4-week intervention with the alternate air purifiers. We collected fine particulate matter (PM) ? 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter between 2.5 and 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10–2.5) and ozone (O 3 ). The subjects’ pulmonary function and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were measured during the study period. The indoor PM2.5 concentrations decreased by 11% with the true air purifiers compared to those with sham air purifiers. However, this decrease was not significant ( p = 0.08). The air purification did not significantly improve the pulmonary function of the study subjects. In contrast, an increase in the indoor PM10–2.5 and O 3 concentration led to a significant decrease in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1.0 )/forced vital capacity (FVC) and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), respectively. In conclusion, air purification slightly improved the indoor PM2.5 concentrations in ordinary homes but had no demonstrable impact on improving health.

Keywords: air purifier; indoor environment; particulate matter; pulmonary function; fractional exhaled nitric oxide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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