The Plant Air Purifier® has several inherent advantages. First, there are no toxic air filters to clean or replace, ever; the system is self-cleaning. This results in reduced waste going to a landfill and less maintenance over time. Root-associated microbes convert toxins in the air into nutrients the plants eat and thrive on. Second, the Plant Air Purifier® is a beautiful potted plant, much more attractive and discrete than your average air filter. They enhance the look and feel of your home or office. Third, the Plant Air Purifier´s® special growing media is inert and clean; it does not support mold, mildew growth or insect propagation, as you may get with plants potted in soil.
Plant Air Purifier® vs. Other Types of Air Cleaners
Electronic Precipitator efficiency decreases as the collecting plates become loaded with particles or as airflow velocity decreases or becomes less uniform (3). Plant Air Purifier® maintains a constant rate of air cleaning indefinitely because it is "self-cleaning". The effectiveness increases over time as the microbes adapt to their environment.
Electronic Precipitators need to have their collector plates cleaned regularly (3) exposing the user to a significant amount of toxic buildup. Maintenance of the Plant Air Purifier® will not expose the user to concentrated toxin cleaning.
Plant Air Purifier® is more naturally attractive than any Electronic Precipitator filter unit.
Plant Air Purifier® will remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), some of the most dangerous pollutants, whereas HEPA filter (alone) won't (1). If a HEPA filter unit does include activated carbon, the amount is substantially less than the Plant Air Purifier's® five pounds of activated carbon!
Plant Air Purifier® adapts to VOCs and other pollutants over time becoming more effective at eliminating them (2) while HEPA filters slowly lose their effectiveness until renewed by replacing the filter(s) (3).
HEPA usually requires annual replacement of filters, which can cost as much as the filter unit itself, while the Plant Air Purifier® requires only water, occasional plant food and no filter to replace, ever. Filters contribute to the solid waste stream and exposes the user to a substantial concentration of toxins during the replacement process.
For similar purchase price and electric cost, both units clean about the same volume of air.
Plant Air Purifier® is more naturally attractive than any HEPA filter unit.
Ion Generator units emit some ozone which may cause respiratory irritation and tends to soil interior surfaces with pollutant particles that are difficult to remove (3).
Plant Air Purifier® is more naturally attractive than any Ion Generator unit.
(1) http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html
(2) http://phytofilter.com/
(3) http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html#Air_Filters_-_Available_Guidance_for_Their_Comparison
Available scientific evidence shows that at ozone concentrations below public health standards ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants (4).
Ozone is an irritant gas that reacts with lung tissue and can cause various respiratory irritations; Plant Air Purifier® gives off only clean air (4).
Ozone Generators tend to soil interior surfaces with pollutant particles that are difficult to remove (4).
While indoor plants rooted in soil do provide some air cleaning capabilities, the Plant Air Purifier’s® greater air movement and root microbe access result in the Plant Air Purifier® being able to clean as much air as 60 or more standard indoor plants.
Mold, fungus, insects, etc., that can be a problem by infesting the soil of potted plants are less of a concern when growing plants in hydroculture. When watering plants in hydroculture, the surface pebbles dry quickly and so do not support the growth of molds and fungus.
