air ionizers

[anthrax]

There was a thread about air ionizers....here is some info 'bout them

Study: Air Ionizers Fight Hospital Infections

Hospital infections caused by the bacterium acinetobacter have been eliminated by installation of negative air ionizers, British researchers tell the magazine New Scientist.

"We were absolutely astounded to find such clear cut results," reports researcher Clive Begg at the University of Leeds.

Ionizers produce negative ions that collide with suspended germs in the air, causing the charged germs to clump together and fall out of the air, and stopping the transmission of infection, the researchers speculate.

Acinetobacter infections are difficult to treat because the bacterium is often resistant to many antibiotics, the magazine reports. The germ poses no real threat to healthy people but can cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems.

The team is expanding its research to see if ionizers can be used against other airborne germs, including tuberculosis, New Scientist reports.

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[anthrax]

another one...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Home air filtration systems provide some relief to allergy and asthma sufferers, but researchers at McMaster University in Canada say there aren't enough data to officially recommend their use.

The prevalence of asthma has "markedly increased" over the past two decades in adults and in children, the researchers write. They also say indoor irritants, particularly tobacco smoke, represent a greater health risk than outdoor pollutants. In some studies, indoor air filters have been shown to reduce airborne irritants.

Ellen McDonald, a registered nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital and co-author of the study, told Reuters Health that with air filters, "parents and children feel they have some control over their environment and their disease without medication."

In the current study, the researchers reviewed results from 10 randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in reducing allergy and asthma symptoms. The studies included a total of 216 adults and children. In all of the studies, participants were given air filters for their homes, but were not told whether their filters were real or a placebo. The findings are published in a recent issue of the journal Chest.

After reviewing the studies, the researchers concluded that air filters slightly reduced allergy and asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath, as well as sleep disturbances. However, the filters were not associated with a decrease in the use of medication, such as anti-inflammatories and bronchodilators, or an easier time breathing in the morning. Air filters were also not tied to any improvement in nasal symptoms. A majority of the studies the researchers reviewed were supported by companies that manufacture air filtration systems.

"Those filters are in the vicinity of $150 to $250, so it's a lot more...feasible financially, rather than removing carpets and all that stuff that people get advised to do which still have not been proven to work," said McDonald. However, mattress and pillow covers have been shown to help alleviate some symptoms, she noted, as well as dusting and vacuuming the house a couple of times a week.

The researchers recommend that larger trials be conducted to precisely define the influence of air filtration on quality of life and symptom control for asthma patients before guidelines or policy recommendations be made on air filter use.

SOURCE: Chest 2002;122:1535-1542.