Review on 🍃 Vivitar PA-705 Air Purifier and Ionizer Black: Experience Clean, Fresh Air by Walter Day

The Vivitar Quiet Desktop Air Purifier (hereafter "Vivitar”) is said to be quiet because it doesn't move much air like the other types. . (As many here have noted, the two settings aren't very different, but if you listen closely, the Whisper setting will be even quieter.) My device's box doesn't say it's an ionizer, but it clearly is described here. (That's why he doesn't use a filter, contrary to what one of his panels claims.) The smell that many notice comes from ozone, which is produced as a by-product. (The odor should be familiar to anyone who approaches a copier or laser printer in a busy office.) Because of ozone, these devices should be used in well-ventilated areas and not indoors. Theoretically, negatively charged air ions attract pollutant particles. , they press against nearby surfaces, thereby "purifying" the air. In addition, negatively charged ions are said to neutralize certain pathogens. I used to be skeptical of the kind of hype my brother heard. But desperate times call for desperate measures. When my daughter's asthma worsened because the air was becoming awful from the nearby fires, I rushed to Fry's, as did many in the area. I needed something now and the Vivitar was $30 cheaper. So I bought this along with one with a HEPA filter. Although the filter air purifier was much larger, offering an effective area of 8m^2 (80 sq. ft.), Vivitar's claim of 30 m^2 (300 sq. ft.) made me put it to the test. Because of the smoke in the area, my windows were closed. The first thing I noticed was the smell of ozone. There is no standard for testing coverage up to 300 sq. ft. (30 m^2)). But over time, despite the weak Vivitara fan, the smell spreads over a large area. And the level of ozone odor is not what I mean when I think of an air purifier's "coating". When I open the windows, the smell is barely perceptible. Then I researched further. I bought this in hopes of helping my daughter deal with her asthma. But the FDA sees no respiratory health benefits in ionizers. While I find the Vivitara's ozone levels acceptable, I don't need another device that doesn't help and produces ozone. So I leave the block with the HEPA filter and send the Vivitar back. Responding to another user's comment about finding no evidence of UV use is perhaps a good thing. According to the literature, the use of UV optimizes the production of ozone, not negative ions. (This type of device uses a high voltage between metal plates. Any ionizer will always emit some ozone. The one used in hospitals will have some sort of mechanism to neutralize the ozone, but cheaper devices like this don't have it.)