Why do you need an air ionizer in an apartment, its harm and benefits, according to doctors

WHO scientists have established that for the normal, stable functioning of the human body, it must breathe oxygen, which contains at least 1000 ions per 1 cubic centimeter. Ions are particles formed from atoms with a certain charge. In the atmosphere there are from 900 to 40,000 (per 1 cm cubed). In residential premises - up to 50 particles per 1 cm cube. An air ionizer designed for use in an apartment or any other residential or public building helps increase the number of useful ions.

What is an ionizer

A device that passes oxygen through itself and saturates it with healthy substances is called an ionizer. It is used in buildings - the process occurs naturally in the environment.

For the first time, a scientist from the USSR, professor Alexander Chizhevsky, spoke about the positive effects of oxygen, literally saturated with ions, on the health of living beings. During his research, he noticed that part of the atmospheric gas is neutral molecules. Under environmental conditions, some of these molecules acquire a negative charge. Moreover, near bodies of water, in forests and mountains, their concentration increases.Which has a positive effect on the well-being and health of humans and animals.

Professor Chizhikov called ions that were negatively charged - aeroions.

Ionization - what is it?

The process during which an electron is removed from atoms, which forms 2 molecules with different charges, is called ionization.

It is believed that only air ions are beneficial for health, of which there are 2 types:

• lungs;
• heavy.

Light particles are short-lived; they live inside buildings for literally 2-3 minutes. Very quickly they combine with other particles: water, dust, some kind of dirt and become heavy.

Heavy ions quickly settle on the floor, furniture, walls and other surfaces. After some time they rise into the air again. This means that a person breathes them in, which is naturally harmful. There is only one way to avoid this - to do wet cleaning in a timely manner, immediately after the device has finished working.

Rospotrebnadzor conducted studies, the results of which established that:

1. “Clean” air, that is, in nature, contains about 1100 light air ions per 1 cubic centimeter.
2. In resort areas, the amount of light air ions increases to 4000 per 1 cubic centimeter.
3. But in large cities this value is much less, about 250 air ions per 1 cubic centimeter.

Rospotrebnadzor also concluded that the more polluted the oxygen, the more harmful substances it contains - heavy air ions. In nature, where the air is clean and fresh, there are approximately 500 of them per 1 cm cube. But in cities with developed industry, where the atmosphere is polluted, the concentration of heavy particles rises to 70,000 per 1 cm cube. While the number of light particles useful for living beings decreases, down to 250 per 1 cm cube.

The greater the amount of light air ions in oxygen, the more beneficial it is for all living beings on the planet. For example, scientists have proven that after entering the human body through breathing or skin, they combine with red blood cells, which activates their activity. Red blood cells begin to move quickly and in a certain order, which improves the nutrition of the body's cells several times.

Benefits of using the device

The benefits and harms of the ionizer have not yet been confirmed by official peer-reviewed studies. Many experiments have been carried out that have given mixed results. Thus, in China, 3 years ago, a study was conducted on the impact of air ions on schoolchildren. It showed that children's stress decreased, their concentration increased, and their well-being improved. But there were other experiments - with completely different results.

And yet, the main advantage of ionization is the activation of red blood cells. Which leads to beneficial consequences:

1. Deeper and higher quality sleep. With such sleep, the body has time to fully recover during the night. This is especially useful for depression, stress, and mental disorders of any severity.
2. Metabolism improves. This affects not only the speed of weight loss, but also many other processes. With a good metabolism, you can recover faster from viral and bacterial diseases.
3. Immunity is strengthened. Because the body is saturated with pure, healthy oxygen.

Often, the benefits of ionization include purifying the indoor air from harmful pollutants. But there are nuances here. Yes, air ions attract some harmful substances. Together with them, they settle on the surface: floor, furniture.Therefore, if you do not carry out wet cleaning immediately after finishing the operation of the device, all contaminants will remain indoors. After a while they will rise into the air again. But if you carry out wet cleaning immediately after ionization, most of the dirt can be removed.

Harm from using an ionizer

Ionization also has disadvantages:

1. The risk of becoming infected with viruses increases. Because in a “charged” atmosphere, all particles spread many times faster.
2. People with chronic diseases should not use such devices. Because due to the acceleration of metabolism, all processes in the body proceed rapidly. Cells multiply faster, which is extremely dangerous for cancer patients; in people with elevated temperatures, it becomes even higher; if blood circulation is impaired, hemorrhage can occur, and so on.
3. Some people develop individual intolerance to the procedure. Air with a high content of ions causes headaches and increased drowsiness.

When the ionizer is working, no one should be in the same room with it. All risks associated with ionization can be reduced if, simultaneously with this device, a purifier is used that disinfects the air, clearing it of infections, dust, particles of wool, sand, viruses, and so on.

Basic operating principles

Let's look at the main operating principle of the device:

1. High voltage is transmitted to the electrodes.
2. A discharge is formed.
3. Particles – electrons – begin to “drip” from the ends of the electrodes.
4. They interact with air.
5. The output is anions.

Modern devices also have other operating principles:

1. Thermal ionization.As they move under high temperatures, particles collide chaotically, forming air ions with a negative charge.
2. Photoionization. Aeroions are formed when an atom and light collide.
3. Collisional ionization. Aeroions are produced by the collision of various particles with a neutral oxygen molecule.
4. Hydroionization. Aeroions are produced by transformation from a liquid state to a gaseous state.

All modern ionizers are created on the same principle and perform the same functions as the very first device, which was invented by Professor Chizhevsky in 1931. It was nicknamed “Chizhevsky’s chandelier.” The device really resembled a chandelier, and was even suspended from the ceiling. It was a metal ring, quite large - about a meter in diameter. A mesh of very thin wire (0.3 mm) was stretched around the entire perimeter of the ring. The size of each cell in the grid did not exceed 50 mm. 372 steel pins were soldered into the mesh nodes. The device was connected to a negative pole source, and the positive pole was accordingly grounded.

Types of ionizers

All devices differ in their operating principle:

1. Bipolar. Air ions with different charges are sequentially produced.
2. Unipolar. They produce only anions.

There are also devices:

• for the floor;
• for walls;
• for tables.

The choice in this regard depends only on the wishes of the buyer. But what you really need to pay attention to when buying an ionizer is:

1. Number of air ions. The ionizer must produce at least 420 ions per 1 cm cube.
2. Ability to control ion production. So that the person himself decides how many air ions will be released, and how many positively charged particles.
3. Make sure that the device has a high-quality fan built into it.

Ionizers are also divided into types according to functionality:

1. Household devices. Designed for use in residential buildings and public buildings. They come in different shapes, power, and sizes. They can combine functions: ionization plus humidification or ionization plus air purification.
2. Autoionizers. Created specifically for use in a car. These devices are supposed to effectively reduce the negative effects of carbon dioxide and exhaust fumes.
3. Devices for shoes. With their help, boots are dried, eliminated from unpleasant odors, bacteria, and so on.
4. Devices for refrigerators. Battery operated and designed for use in the freezer. They help extend the shelf life of food and eliminate unpleasant odors in the refrigerator.

You should not buy cheap ionizer models. Most likely, they will have weak filters installed. This means that all the particles that the filters cannot contain once charged will quickly scatter throughout the room. Experts believe that it is better to buy ionizers with proven filters - HEPA, and always with an oxygen purification function.

Security measures

When using the ionizer, the following precautions should be observed:

1. In the first 15 minutes after the device starts operating, you cannot be in the same room with it.
2. Any device must have a quality certificate. It confirms the safety of use. If the device produces more than 55,000 ions per 1 cubic centimeter, it must also have a medical certificate, since such devices are classified as professional models.
3. The humidity in the room should be from 45 to 75%.
4. Windows and doors must be tightly closed.

Until January 2020, SanPin was in force in Russia under the number: 2.3.4.1294-03.According to it, in buildings there should be at least 5500 ions in oxygen (per 1 cm cubed). This is exactly the result that should be achieved when using devices.

It is important to understand that ionization increases the amount of ozone. Ozone is a natural, harmful oxidizing agent. As its concentration increases, human health deteriorates and equipment (laptops, PCs, TVs, etc.) also suffers.

Is it worth buying an ionizer for an apartment: expert opinion

At the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Medicine, ionizers were studied in the bacteriology laboratory. It turned out that the number of bacteria decreases by 3.5 times, and the number of microbes decreases by 5.5 times.

According to doctors at the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Medicine, the use of ionizers in everyday life is justified, as it cleanses the atmosphere of germs and bacteria.

The study of ionizers was also carried out by Candidate of Medical Sciences N.I. Tikhomirov. There were 13 people in the experimental group, all aged from 30 to 51 years. The result of the study: in people who are in an atmosphere saturated with light ions with a negative charge, the risk of developing thrombosis and microcirculatory disorders is reduced. There were people in the group with asthma; no deterioration in their condition was noticed.

Candidate of Medical Sciences N.I. Tikhomirova considers the use of ionizers in apartments justified and beneficial for people’s health.

At the Institute of Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the study of ionizers was carried out on 63 rats. For 3 weeks they were exposed to stress:

• electrical pain stimulation (daily for 15 minutes);
• exposure to white noise (80 decibels).

Rats without exposure to the ionizer showed all the signs of chronic stress:

• blood pressure rose;
• ulcers and burns appeared in the stomach;
• the spleen has enlarged.

These manifestations did not occur in rats kept in an atmosphere with a high content of air ions. Their blood pressure was normal, oxygen exchange in the body was excellent, and there were no stomach ulcers.

Based on these data, specialists from the Institute of Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences concluded that exposure to air ions will have a healing effect on human bodies. It is especially useful for people in stressful situations.

A positive effect is expected in:

• normalization of pressure;
• treatment of diseases of the stomach, digestive system, intestines.

Specialists from the Institute of Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences believe that the use of ionizers in domestic conditions is justified and will benefit people's health.

Despite many studies that have confirmed the positive effects of ionizers on the body of both people and animals, there is an opinion that these devices still pose a danger.

Experiments were conducted in which scientists and doctors found that during operation, ionizers release a lot of ozone into the atmosphere. Ozone in large quantities is a strong poison. Naturally, if you breathe it, you can get poisoned. You can avoid poisoning if you leave the room while the ionizer is operating. However, this safety measure is often not specified in the instructions for devices, and therefore people simply do not know about it.

Unipolar devices, that is, those that emit only air ions during operation, concentrate the most ozone in the air and the environment. During their operation, people are strictly prohibited from being in the room with the device. And in general they are created only for short-term use.

Bipolar devices are considered safer, since they alternately release different ions: first the charges are negative, then positive, and they concentrate less ozone in the atmosphere.