Air pollution, epidemics, and allergy types that reduce quality of life and can reach dangerous levels... To minimize these harmful components in the ambient air that directly enter our bodies through respiration, we install air purifiers in our homes and workplaces. So, how do we know if air purifiers are really cleaning our air? Should we trust the illuminated indicators found on many of these devices, which claim to show air quality? Should we trust the promotional materials from the manufacturer that state the device cleans the air? As consumers, is there a way to understand the extent of hygiene provided by air purifiers with more scientific and fact-based data?
The only way to find out if air purifiers deliver the cleanliness they promise is to examine the accredited reports for the device. In this article, we will review the accredited report for the Sterilisa Air Purifier Disinfection Device as an example and learn whether the device provides disinfection as promised.
NOTE: Air cleaning relies on purifying the air from 3 different types of pollutants (physical pollutants, chemical pollutants, and biological pollutants). The accredited report we examine in this article is an accredited report demonstrating the microbiological efficacy of the Sterilisa Air Purifier Disinfection Device, which removes microorganism-sourced pollution, a significant portion of biological pollutants. If an air purification device claims to purify the air of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, it must have an accredited report containing microbiological analyses, similar to the one reviewed below.
CAUTION: Particle removal and microorganism (bacteria, viruses, and others) removal are different types of pollutant removal. A device removing particles does not mean that the same device will also remove disease-causing microorganisms from the air. We recommend reading our blog post titled "Features to Consider When Buying an Air Purifier," which detailedly examines types of airborne pollutants, the features air purifiers should have for their removal, common misconceptions about air purifiers and filters, and similar topics.
1- Accredited Report Review
1. Step: Finding the Accreditation Number
Open the accredited report and find the accreditation number of the laboratory that prepared the report, as highlighted in the report below. The accreditation number of a laboratory indicates in which analyses the laboratory is accredited, and the validity of this number should be checked on the official website of the accrediting body (e.g., TÜRKAK).
Laboratory’s
Accreditation No
2. Step: Checking the Accreditation No
Go to the official website of the accrediting body of the laboratory and access the accredited organization search page. Enter the laboratory's accreditation number into the relevant box and perform the search. If the laboratory that prepared the report appears after the search, it means the accreditation number is valid.
You can access the TÜRKAK Accredited Organization Search Page via the following link: https://asist.turkak.org.tr/tr/accreditation/accreditationagencysearch
The laboratory's accreditation number is
entered into this box and searched.
AB-0313-M
3. Step: Finding the Accreditation Certificate
After checking the accreditation number of the laboratory that prepared the report, the laboratory's accreditation certificate should be found, the scope of accreditation examined, and it should be determined whether it is accredited for the analysis in the report. The certificate showing the laboratory's scope of accreditation appears with an image like the one below when searching with the accreditation number. After searching as shown in the image below, click on the marked area to access the laboratory's accreditation certificate and preview the file.
From the laboratory's accreditation certificate, it is checked whether the analysis method in the analysis report is accredited. For this, the analysis report is opened and the analysis method/standard is found as in the report below. It is then checked whether the found analysis method is present in the accreditation file.
ANALYSIS REPORT
LABORATORY’S ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATE
5. Step: Verification with QR Code
Whether the report has been tampered with is checked by scanning the QR code on the report. If there is no QR code on the report, the accuracy of the report should be verified by contacting the laboratory.
6. Step: Finding Analysis Volume and Duration
Read the accredited report to find the volume of the analyzed environment and the duration of the analysis. For example, the report below shows that the Sterilisa Air Purifier Disinfection Device disinfected a 34.96 m3 room by 99.999% in 20 minutes.
