Prihardanu et al. (2021) analyzed survey data related to indoor air quality in urban residential areas. The methodology used included data collection and statistical analysis to identify issues and patterns related to indoor air quality. They highlighted the importance of indoor air quality in urban residential areas in Indonesia. Poor indoor air quality can negatively impact the health and quality of life of residents. Therefore, remedial measures and policy development aimed at improving indoor air quality in urban residential areas need to be taken by the government and researchers. Air filters can be one of the alternatives used to maintain air quality. However, according to Lewis (2019), air filters may have more harms than benefits. Here are some reasons why this is the case:
- Power usage and chemical waste: air filters consume a lot of electrical power and accumulate harmful chemicals in the final disposal, which can create environmental problems.
- Limited effectiveness: While indoor air filtration can reduce the concentration of small harmful particles, its effectiveness in removing harmful gases such as volatile organic compounds from paints and glues is questionable. Some devices use UV radiation to accelerate chemical reactions, but data guaranteeing their effectiveness is lacking.
- Cost and environmental impact: The cost of air filtration may be greater than it should be. Air purifiers use cellulose or polymer membranes that must be replaced monthly, which can add to electricity and raw material costs. Air filtration may also create chemical waste disposal issues that we have not evaluated.
- Less effective solutions: outdoor air filtration has so far proven ineffective because our atmosphere is vast compared to the size of the filtration system. Indoors, however, the balance shifts due to the smaller air volume and greater possibility of air exchange with outside air.
- Better solutions: scientific principles suggest that it is better to stop pollution at the source rather than trying to clean it up after it occurs. This suggests that a more effective solution is to reduce pollution at the source, rather than trying to clean it up after it occurs.
Taking all these factors into consideration, air filters can have more harms than benefits.
Citations:
Prihardanu, E. G., Kusnoputranto, H., & Herdiansyah, H. (2021). Indoor air quality in urban residential: Current status, regulation and future research for Indonesia. International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS), 10(4), 824. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijphs.v10i4.20885
Lewis, A. (2019, March 22). Penyaring udara lebih banyak bahayanya dari manfaatnya. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/penyaring-udara-lebih-banyak-bahayanya-dari-manfaatnya-113275
By: I. Busthomi
