Indoor air quality is becoming a growing concern for consumers and business owners. Indoor air pollutants (VOCs — volatile organic compounds) can come from sources such as carpets, furnaces, furniture, insulation, pets, refuse and fuels from the garage (Figure 1). While current technology in home building makes houses with fewer air turns and that are far better insulated, this can trap VOCs within a house, and lead to increased asthma and allergies for the occupants.
Products are available that claim to clean VOCs from the indoor air. These is not a magic panacea to solve all issues. The hybrid light/filter systems are costly and cover a small area for efficiency. There are also hybrid systems that are modifications to HVAC systems that are efficient but costly. Other machine types can create ozone, which poses other health concerns. Some that contain filters that can become inactive as they fill with impurities and lose their VOC reduction efficacy.