Air Cleaner Information for Consumers

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How To Improve Indoor Air Quality 

Prior to purchasing an air cleaner, consumers are encouraged to ventilate areas when ambient outdoor air quality is good, and to eliminate or reduce airborne contaminants with help from this fact sheet: Reducing Your Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution.

According to the U.S. EPA, improving ventilation can be used with other protective measures to reduce the risk of exposure to coronavirus: Indoor Air in Homes and Coronavirus (COVID-19)

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Air Cleaners, Ozone, & Health

Over forty years of scientific investigation has shown that even low concentrations of ozone are harmful to the biological tissues of plants and animals, including humans. It is well-documented that ozone can cause respiratory tract irritation and inflammation, as well as serious breathing difficulties, including asthma, permanent lung damage, and cardiovascular effects. The American Lung Association has concluded that breathing even low levels of ozone increases the risk of premature death. 

The California health-protective eight-hour air quality standard for ozone is 0.070 parts per million (ppm), which is the same as the National eight-hour standard for ozone. California has also set a one-hour air quality standard for ozone, at 0.090 ppm. 

There are industrial applications for the use of ozone at high concentrations because ozone can kill biological pathogens and neutralize odors. Ozone used for these purposes is typically applied at very high concentrations for efficacy, but under controlled conditions to prevent human exposures.

Some consumer products also produce ozone levels that are much higher than CARB's health-protective standards. Such devices include some air cleaners, as well as ozone generators that purposefully produce high concentrations of ozone by design. Some companies even try to sell the idea that breathing ozone is actually healthy -- and use descriptions such as "super-oxygenated air", energized oxygen", or "activated oxygen." CARB has measured the amount of ozone produced by some consumer products and home appliances, including refrigerator air purifiers, fruit and vegetable washers, facial steams, shoe sanitizers, and a sanitizing wand, and found that some of them emit ozone at high levels that may result in health effects. While this was a limited study, there are many other types of consumer products that could emit harmful levels of ozone.

Because of the risk to you and your family's health from exposure to ozone, CARB strongly advises against the in-home use of ozone generators and/or air cleaners that have not been certified by CARB.

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Air Cleaners Are Regulated In California

CARB adopted a regulation to limit the amount of ozone emitted from indoor air cleaning devices in order to protect public health. All air cleaning devices sold in the California, including over the internet, must meet the regulation requirements. 

According to the regulation, an “indoor air cleaning device” is an energy-using product whose stated function is to reduce the concentration of airborne pollutants from the air inside an enclosed space, including but not limited to allergens, microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms), dusts, particles, smoke, fumes, gases or vapors, and odorous chemicals. Such devices include, but are not necessarily limited to: 

  • portable devices of any size intended for cleaning the air nearest a person, in a room of any size, in a whole house or building, or in a motor vehicle;
  • stand-alone devices designed to be attached to a wall, ceiling, post, or other indoor surface;
  • electronic in-duct air cleaners.

Since 2010, all portable indoor air cleaning devices sold to people or businesses in California are required to be certified by CARB. As of October 2020, electronic in-duct air cleaning devices are also subject to the regulation. To be certified, all air cleaners must be tested for electrical safety. Electronic air cleaners must also be tested for ozone emissions and meet an ozone emission concentration limit of 0.050 parts per million (50 ppb). 

Companies selling uncertified air cleaning devices in California are subject to enforcement action by CARB, including fines.

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Air Cleaners That Meet California's Air Cleaner Regulation: Certified Air Cleaners

Air cleaners sold to people or businesses in California, including electronic in-duct devices, must be CARB certified for electrical safety and low ozone emissions. 

Certified air cleaners are listed on CARB's webpage: List of CARB-Certified Air Cleaning Devices

In addition, certified air cleaners must show the following labels on the packaging:

  • 'Meets California ozone emissions limit: CARB certified'. Sample Label.
  • Mark for ANSI/UL Standard 507, 867, or other appropriate standard as specified in the regulation, consistent with the requirements of the appropriate authorizing Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

If you find an air cleaning device for sale in California (or for sale online with delivery available to California) that does not bear the certification label and/or is not on the list of CARB-certified air cleaning devices, please contact aircleaners@arb.ca.gov.

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Uncertified Air Cleaners Intended for Exempted Industrial-Use Purposes:

Manufacturers of uncertified ozone-producing air cleaning devices manufactured, supplied to, offered for sale, introduced into commerce, or sold to people or businesses in California, in accordance with the industrial use exemptions outlined in section 94803(a) of the regulation, must label such industrial-use-only air cleaners with an advisory that reads: 'For industrial use only. Use only in unoccupied spaces. Health hazard: Emits ozone.'

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Uncertified Air Cleaners That Do Not Meet California's Air Cleaner Regulation: 

Any indoor air cleaning device that is not for exempted industrial use, and that is advertised or sold via the Internet -- but has not been certified by CARB -- must display the following advisory in a prominent place on the primary advertising page: "Does not meet California air cleaner regulation requirements: cannot be shipped to California". This information should be provided to the consumer prior to entering their purchase information.

If you find an air cleaning device for sale online that does not bear either the CARB certification label or the above advisory, please contact aircleaners@arb.ca.gov. Such devices cannot be sold to people or businesses in California.  In order to maintain a level playing field for all manufacturers and retailers of air purifiers, CARB relies on members of the public to share information with us regarding the sale of uncertified devices in the state.  

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How to Select a Safe and Effective Air Cleaner

In addition to CARB certification, there are other factors to consider in selecting a suitable air cleaner. For example, it's important to choose an air cleaner with a clean air delivery rate (CADR) that matches the size of the space you want to clean. So, to make the best choice for your needs, check both the list of California certified devices and the following resources:

CARB Resources:

External Resources:

Air Cleaners to Avoid

  • Hazardous Ozone-Generating "Air Purifiers"
  • Devices that do or are likely produce unsafe levels of ozone can be found on CARB's List of Potentially Hazardous Ozone Generators Sold as "Air Purifiers"

How to Stay Updated

CARB encourages those interested in the California air cleaner regulation to subscribe to the Air Cleaner Regulation topic, in order to receive email notification of all notices given and actions taken related to the implementation of this regulation. If you have further questions, contact aircleaners@arb.ca.gov.