California Air Resources Board

Principal Investigator/Author(s): Theresa Pistochini, Chris Cappa

Contractor: University of California, Davis

Contract Number: 22RD003

Project Status: Completed Sept 2023

Relevant CARB Programs: Indoor Air, Air Cleaners & Ozone Generating Products

Topic Areas: Indoor Air Quality & Exposure

Research Summary:

Many people use air purifiers to improve the air quality inside their homes. While many air purifiers contain filters that collect particles polluting the air, some air purifiers use technologies that emit substances into the indoor air once they are turned on.  Some examples of these air cleaning technologies include ionizers and ultraviolet lamps, but there are numerous other types. There are concerns that some of the substances emitted from air purifiers during usage could cause health problems.

For this project, researchers will do an extensive literature review of scientific studies and write a comprehensive report to better understand how these technologies work and whether air purifiers using these technologies could cause health problems. The focus of their review will be on describing the different technologies and whether they emit or cause the formation of any substances that could cause health problems.  In addition, researchers will identify what else we need to know before we can answer these questions and they will suggest future research studies that may be needed.   

Keywords: air cleaners; air purifiers; indoor air pollution; ozone; public health; indoor exposure and health effects

Research Seminar