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The Basics

What is activated carbon and how does it work?
Carbon is the most adsorbent material known to man and has been used to purify air and water for thousands of years. In fact, the use of carbon dates so far back into history that its exact origin has been impossible to document.

Historians do know that as far back as 1500 BC the ancient Egyptians were using carbon to adsorb odors from festering wounds and from within the intestinal tract or to purify their water and that carbon filters were used for ventilating vapors and gases from 17th century London sewers.

However it was the 20th century that saw the development of specially ‘activated’ granular carbon, like that used in AllerAir air purifiers. With the introduction of poisonous gases during WW I, the military developed large scale production methods for adsorbent carbons suitable for use in gas-masks, which has led to a post-war expansion in commercial production and applications of this amazingly versatile substance.

When gases, chemicals and odors pass through a filter packed with activated carbon these substances get permanently trapped in the million of pores opened by the activation process. Due to the large internal surface area of activated carbons it can actually adsorb up to 60% of its weight. Good carbon filters, depending on the environment in which they are used, can last up to 5 years before all of the pores are full.

What causes poor indoor air quality?
Studies have proven that indoor air contains chemicals, gases and odors as well as particles such as mold spores, pollen, and dust mites etc. This can cause symptoms such as asthma, allergies, and a host of respiratory and general health difficulties. More recent studies by the American Heart Association have linked air pollutants to cardiovascular disease and even cancer and diabetes. Further studies have linked indoor air quality with children’s learning disabilities as well as to the loss of significant productivity in the work place

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