Carbon air filters can be effective in filtering VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from the air, which are gaseous substances that most mechanical filters, such as HEPA filters, cannot touch.
Some of the gases in cigarette smoke or those that come off when drying paint or cleaning products can be removed from the air with a carbon filter.
But do all people need carbon filters? Purifier companies have a financial incentive to convince people to buy carbon filters, but is it really necessary?To answer this question, let's look at a recent study. Research has shown that the efficiency of an activated carbon filter may decrease after a few weeks. After 3 or 4 weeks, the activated carbon filter must be cleaned or replaced.This frequency varies depending on the level of contamination. If you are concerned about water quality, you should consider different water treatment options. Water filters are generally very effective at reducing contaminants, unpleasant odors, and the bad taste of water. Activated carbon filters have extraordinary capabilities, which are not available in common filters. However, activated carbon water filters can attack and remove specific contaminants from water.
It's important to know what contaminants it removes or reduces. The type and concentration of contaminants in your water will determine whether you should use a carbon filter or a non-carbon filter in your home. Even if you don't notice any odors, using a carbon air filter can remove harmful VOCs from your home air. These filters use coconut shell, coconut shell, wood, charcoal, and other media, with the carbon in the coconut shell being the most renewable. When I published instructions on how to build your own purifier, I wasn't comfortable recommending activated charcoal because I hadn't tried it and I didn't want to just trust what the big filter companies say. Some activated carbon filters can be used to remove chlorine and the unpleasant odor and taste it produces.
Carbon particles have a large surface area, allowing them to be exposed to as many active sites in the filter medium as possible.
Although activated carbon air filters can remove some gaseous compounds from the air, they cannot remove all of them.
German researchers from Stiftung Warentest* have tested air purifiers with filters (Philips, Dyson, Soehnle, Rowenta), with the result that activated carbons capture very little formaldehyde. There are cleaning methods that indicate that the filter should be cleaned with water or vacuumed. Activated carbon block filters may have unique properties that can effectively remove up to 99 percent of total suspended solids, volatile organic compounds, sediments, heavy metals, chloramines, and other contaminants from drinking water. The more surface area available, the greater the chances of a particle sticking to the carbon filter. Activated carbon filters have been tested and designed to remove 14 of the most common pesticides that can be found in water. If you have pets, smell bad, or smoke in your home, a charcoal air filter will help improve the quality of the air inside your home. According to his observations on the filtration of isopropanol (another VOC present in gasoline and hydroalcoholic gel), CAF (Carbon Air Filter) filters would be 26.8% less efficient than GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) filters.In conclusion, activated carbon air filters can be effective in removing certain gaseous compounds from the air, but they cannot remove all of them. It is important to understand what contaminants it removes or reduces before deciding whether or not to use one.
