Who Invented the Air Purifier?
Air purifiers have become essential in many homes, offices, and other indoor areas. And it's not all because of publicity and marketing hype. With regular usage, quality air purifiers can filter out fine air pollutants like mildew, mold, pollen, dust, pet dander, and fungal spores from indoor spaces, making the air you breathe cleaner and safer. Some purifiers can even trap the particles that cause COVID-19.
Essentially, an air purifier's job is to improve indoor air quality and make breathing easier for everyone, especially those suffering from respiratory conditions and allergies. It nets small particles through a powerful filtration technology, protecting you from dangerous pathogens.
Contrary to what most people think, the concept of air purification wasn't born in the 21st century. The air purifiers we're using today in our homes are products of centuries-long evolution to battle environmental pollution and climate change. It traces its roots back to the 1800s when coal was the main power source, and air pollution started to worsen.
The History of the Air Purifier
Towards the end of the 19th century, coal was used mainly to power industrial processes. They burned coal in power plants and used its heat energy to generate electricity to run machines in the transportation, residential, and commercial industries.
Coal played a massive role in technological advancement and transforming societies during the Industrial Revolution. However, its large-scale use had terrible consequences. It paved the way for air pollution, global warming, and respiratory illnesses, particularly among populations around places that burned more coal than the average.
As the people of the 1800s enjoyed the benefits of industrialization, experts developed new solutions to protect the public from toxic fumes and pollution exposure. The first few inventions focused on protecting first responders from toxic fumes while on duty.
One of the earliest breathing tools was headgear developed by brothers Charles and John Deane in 1823, intended to help firefighters rescue people from burning establishments. Patented as the Smoke Helmet, it was designed to prevent smoke-induced suffocation and protect firefighters from toxic fumes.
In 1849, the first-ever U.S. patent for an air purifying breathing device was given to Lewis P. Haslett's "lung protector." It filters dust with the help of one-way clapper valves and porous material like a moistened wool filter.
Years later, in 1854, in another initiative to protect first responders, John Stenhouse introduced a respirator that captured toxic gases through a charcoal-based filter.
In the 1940s, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps and National Defense Research Committee created the HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. Its development was part of the Manhattan Project, an American government research effort to produce the first World War II atomic bombs.
The HEPA filter, a mechanical filter that traps harmful air contaminants in a fine mesh, was made to protect workers from radioactive contaminants. This high-efficiency air purification system was a breakthrough in addressing environmental pollution. It eventually became a heavy filtration device for most home air purifiers today. In fact, if you’re going to use an air purifier, we always recommend looking for one that utilizes a medical-grade HEPA 13 filter.
The 1960s saw the first strides towards improving indoor air quality, by protecting more individuals through masks with filters. In 1963, the first-ever residential air filter was introduced by IQAir, a German-born and now Swiss-based air quality technology company owned by brothers Klaus and Manfred Hammes. Their goal was initially to prevent black dust buildup from household coal ovens.
But after quite some time, various customers reported that the filter alleviated their asthma and allergy symptoms. Even Manfred himself, an asthma sufferer, experienced fewer symptoms during the cold season. Considering these promising results, the company also integrated the filter into radiators and other heating systems.
The Clean Air Act, the first federal legislation designed to control air pollution in the United States, was also passed in 1963. This opened the door for new strategies for managing and monitoring air pollution. A series of amendments followed the 1963 legislation. The most recent amendments took place in 1990, with new regulatory programs that included stratospheric ozone protection and expanded research efforts.
To efficiently improve air purification systems, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) developed the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) in the 1980s. It’s a standard that measures air purifier performance, depending on the clean air produced each minute, as well as the room space.
Today, more and more people are prioritizing health and wellness. We tend to explore anything and everything to have a healthier lifestyle and, as much as possible, protect ourselves from the pollutants around us. We have more than enough resources to address indoor air pollution and improve air purification machines, thanks to vast technological progress.
Air purification brands are continuously improving their products, incorporating various technologies like multiple stages of filtration. For example, the Sans air purifier has perfected four layers of protection to deep-clean your breathing air. From dust and hair to viruses and bacteria, Sans is like a magnet for threatening particles.
Air Purifiers: Breathe Clean Air at Home
The air purifier we know and use today was the brainchild of several creative, innovative minds. Decades since the introduction of the Deane brothers’ smoke helmet and the onset of the industrial revolution, air purification remains more important than ever.
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental health risks out there, so we must take action and try to reduce our contributions to air contamination in our own little ways. Let’s start inside our own homes. Use an air purifier that best suits your preferences, environment, and needs. Enjoy cleaner indoor air quality while spending time with your loved ones.
Ready to take action? While controlling the air quality outdoors is much more of a challenge, when it comes to the indoors, you have a lot more say. A high-tech air purification system can work wonders for your health and wellness. Shop with Sans today and breathe easier knowing that your air is pure.