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Although there are various versions of air-purifiers available today in the market including the HEPA purifier and the UV air-purifier, but there are only two basic kinds of electronic air-purifiers. These are the negative ion generators and the ozone air-purifiers. We will discuss the functioning and effectiveness of both the varieties in the following section.

Recently, air purifiers are coming with indicator lights that will notify the user that it is time to change the filter inside. Previously one always had to keep an eye for that, and the replacement was based much on guess work. The average domestic owner doesn't have the expertise to understand if it is time to replace the filter. With indicator lights, that shouldn't be a problem anymore.

Ionic Air Purifiers

The basic principle of these airpurifiers is based on the concept of static electricity. What it does is while the air passes through the purifier it charges the air negatively by releasing negative ions. Now these negative ions come in contact with the positive ions present in the air. These would include the regular pollutants like dust, bacteria, pollen and chemicals. These remain suspended in the air and we breathe them in along with the air. Now the negative and positive charges immediately bond together and fall to the ground. This is a very simple and basic method, but at the end of the day it works.

In the more advanced ionic air purifiers there are plates inside the purifier which are negatively charged. When air passes through the purifier, the positively charged particulates are attracted by the plates and are collected. So the floor remains free of the pollutants.

Ozone Air-Purifiers

The second variety of electronic airpurifier is the ozone air-purifier. However, this variety of air purifier has been embroiled in much controversy and there is little indication that the controversy is going to die down anytime soon.

Ozone air purifiers actually release ozone in the air. The principle is that ozone is composed of three atoms of oxygen of which the third atom is a free radical and readily reacts with any organic substance. The manufacturers' theory is that the free radical reacts with the organic substances in the air, thus decreasing pollution. And in the process the two other atoms are now released as oxygen which further cleanses the air.

The problem is that this free radical can actually react with the organic substances inside our body and this can be very harmful for our health and can seriously damage our lungs. So according to some, ozone air purifiers do us more harm than they aid us. There is definitely a need to look into the matter more seriously and there should be more research conducted before we can come to a conclusion about this variety of air-purifier.