Is an air purifier enough to beat indoor air pollution? Which kind is best for the home?

Indoor air pollution is the degradation of indoor air quality harmful chemicals, particulates and other materials that pile up; it can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution. This is because contained areas enable potential pollutants to build up more than open spaces. Indoor air pollution is amplified poor ventilation, so simply improving ventilatory measures like promoting cross ventilation can mitigate the effect of indoor air pollution.
WAYS TO CONTROL INDOOR POLLUTIONThe most important ways to control air pollution are as follows:Control of the origin or source: Remove or reduce the source of indoor pollution like regular cleaning to reduce dust accumulation, avoiding burning incense sticks and cigarettes inside the houseVentilation: Regular opening of windows to allow the air to circulate, there promoting cross ventilationCleaning of air: Use air purifier
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR IN AN AIR PURIFIER
However, there are certain very important facts about air purifiers that we must all keep in our minds when deciding about buying one. The most important fact is that most air purifiers cannot remove gaseous pollutants from the air and hence, they are of no use when pollution inside is due to smoke of any kind.
The most commonly used air purifiers are mechanical air purifiers, most of which use HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air). The good part about them is that they remove particulate matter and do not emit ozone. However, although effective, an air purifier cannot remove all the indoor particulate matter. Dust particles, which settle on the surface, can become airborne when we touch them and can be inhaled before the purifier actually cleans them. Also, air purifiers cannot clean toxic and pollutant gases.
Another type of air purifier available in the market is the ozone air purifier. It is not regularly recommended since it releases toxic ozone gas, which is actually an airway irritant. For asthmatics, ozone can trigger an asthma attack. Ozone gas in high quantities can cause free radical damage to biological tissues, causing various diseases in humans.
Ozone-generating air purifiers are devices that are programmed to create ozone to clean the air through chemical reactions that alter the composition of the pollutants. Yet this is also the mechanism which ozone has harmful health effects. Also, ozone is generally ineffective in controlling indoor air pollution at lower concentrations and the concentration at which it is effective can have a lot of collateral damage.
Electronic air purifiers, including ionisers, use electric voltage to convert oxygen and other molecules into their charged ionic compounds that inactivate air-borne contaminants. This process is called bipolar ionisation (BPI). However, BPI can produce free radicals and ozone, which are dangerous for biological tissues.
Therefore, it is quite evident that the best air purifier is the one which can clean the indoor air and yet does not produce toxic gases and radiation.
SHOULD WE THEN USE AIR PURIFIERS?The answer is yes but using air purifiers should not make us believe that we can ignore cross ventilation or regular cleaning of dust. It is also of paramount importance to know that any kind of gas cannot be cleared an air purifier.
WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR ME?We recommend the mechanical one, the one with HEPA filter and the one which does not produce any ozone or free radicals.
DO INDOOR PLANTS HELP?There is no scientific evidence of this fact but there are many reasons to believe that having indoor plants does help to some extent in fighting indoor air pollution. Make sure that there should not be excess water as dampness may be a ground for growth of micro-organisms, which can lead to asthma attacks.