Purifiers have limited impact on air quality, says consumer body

Air purifiers can remove pollutants such as dust and smoke, but people relying on them to deliver totally clean air may not breathe easy after the Consumer Council released test results on 10 different models.

'Air purifiers can counter the air-pollution problem by removing smoke and dust in the air, but their performance varies,' said Ching Pak-chung, vice-chairman of the council's publicity and community relations committee.

The council warned consumers to be sceptical about the floor area some models claim to be able to cover, with all of the 10 models tested exaggerating their coverage by 30 to 90 per cent.

Professor Ching said some machines also claimed to remove biological agents, meaning they could be trusted as the sole means of air purification.

'These air purifiers are designed mainly for domestic use,' he said. 'They should not be solely relied on to remove bacteria, viruses, dust mites, allergens or mould. These [biological agents] can't be screened out only by means of filters.'

He said maintaining household hygiene and disease prevention were as important as using purifiers, and he advised consumers to clean and change air filters regularly to ensure their performance.