An air purifier is an appliance that removes certain airborne contaminants from the air and improves the indoor air quality. They are most frequently used in homes and offices and are helpful to people who suffer from allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity and other respiratory related symptoms. Air purifiers draw polluted air in from a given space and pass it through several layers of filtering devices. Particles, allergens and contaminants are trapped onto a filter and the purified air is then recycled back into the room.

An air purifier will improve the overall indoor air quality and in turn, improve our health. We tend to associate air pollution only with outdoor air; however, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air pollution levels can be as many as two to five times higher than outdoor pollutant levels.

In fact, indoor air pollution is one of the top environmental concerns. Many of the pollutants removed by air purifiers are known to trigger allergies and asthma; therefore, an air purifier will offer relief to those suffering and lessen the possibility of a person contracting them if they don’t already suffer from them. Infants and small children are especially susceptible to contracting asthma and allergies since they spend the majority of their time indoors.

A: With a four-level filtration, Astria Air Purifiers addresses the problems of PM10 and PM2.5, harmful gases, and other commonly found pollutants like mold spores, and microorganisms. Here are the different types of filters addressing different aspects of Indoor Air Pollution:

Pre Filters: The pre-filter acts as the first line of defence and removes PM10 pollutants such as dust, smoke, hair, pet dander, large pollens etc. The pre-filter also helps in increasing the life of the secondary filter by not letting it choke sooner.

H11 HEPA Filters: High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting or HEPA filters, are found in a wide range of industries, from residential properties to businesses to medical facilities and more. HEPA filters are highly efficient in collecting microscopic particles in the air as it flows through them. They rapidly hold PM2.5, mold spores and even biologicals.

Activated Carbon Filter: The activated carbon filters come in a granular form that removes contaminants and impurities, using chemical adsorption. They are most effective at removing allergens and harsh pollutants, from chlorine to particulate matters, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to unpleasant odours. Activated carbon filter provides unparalleled benefits to your respiratory health.

Cold Catalyst Filter: Cold Catalyst filter, is also known as a low-temperature catalyst, formaldehyde buster. Cold Catalyst Filter absorbs, decomposes and removes harmful gases such as formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene, and TVOC, generating water and carbon dioxide.

A: Air purifiers are designed to fit a variety of spaces, at both your home and office. Make sure you look at the square foot area of the room it will be primarily used in. Bonphul Astria F520 has a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 520 m3/h (cubic metre per hour) for 646 sq. ft. area. Considering this, the model ensures a clean zone of a reasonably-sized drawing-cum-dining room at home, or a large-sized conference room or the lobby at the office. Astria W60 model is a compact-sized, wall mounted air purifier for a single room, for around 161 sq. ft. usage, that will cater to your clean air needs inside your own personal space, at a peak speed of CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 90 m3/h (cubic metre per hour).

A: An air purifier is advised to be placed in a room or space where you spend the majority of your time in, be it at home or workplace. Most Air Purifiers are for a space that can easily serve a lounge area, like a living and dining area in your house or the office lobby, or conference rooms. For that purpose, Bonphul Astria F520 (floor standing) is the perfect pick. However, if clean air requirement is for a more personal space, like for a bedroom or office cabin than Astria W60 (wall mounted) should be the right choice.

A: CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. This measurement was developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. It indicates the volume of filtered air delivered by an air purifier. It is given in three measurements – one for pollen, one for tobacco smoke, and one for dust. The higher the CADR number, the faster the unit filters the air.

A: Short for micrometre, a micron is one-millionth of a meter and approximately 1/25,000th of an inch. Microns are used to measure airborne particle sizes. This is important because many harmful airborne particles are invisible to the naked eye, making them easily inhaled or distributed throughout your indoor environment. For example, dust mite allergens can be as small as 0.1 to 0.3 microns, which is considerably smaller than a single strand of human hair that typically measures 30 to 120 microns.

A: The loudness of an air purifier (measured in decibels) depends on a few factors such as the model of air purifier, the fan operating speed, and personal noise tolerance. Astria F520 and Astria W60 have noises of 58 dB(A) and 50 dB (A) respectively. However, like most air purifiers, Astria models too feature multiple cleaning speeds. Thus, if they are operating at their maximum cleaning speed, it will be louder than if they are operating at a lower speed. Also, noise is subjective and what might be intolerable to one might not be as loud to another.