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Consumer Reports call Ionic Breeze "Unhealthy"

HarryKeogh

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The magazine reports in its latest issue hitting newsstands Tuesday that Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier and four other similar machines fail to significantly clean the air — but also release potentially unhealthy levels of ozone.

The article is being published two months after San Francisco-based Sharper Image agreed to pay the magazine’s publisher, Consumers Union, $525,000 in legal costs after a judge dismissed its libel suit. The failed lawsuit alleged that earlier magazine articles highly critical of the Ionic Breeze’s ability to reduce airborne particles were false and malicious.
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I like this part...

“It is astonishing that Consumers Union would continue its misguided efforts to attack the judgment and experience of millions of Americans who are satisfied with the performance of the Ionic Breeze products,” (Sharper Image representative)Wallach said in a statement.
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So, we duped millions of people into thinking it works...so it must work!
 
But hey, the Sharper Image product got top marks for being quiet! (But it got horrible marks in the "actually works" department.)
 
I've walked past Ionic Breeze purifiers in the Sharper Image stores, and the ozone stink was so strong it would make me sneeze for about three minutes after leaving the store. I couldn't imagine how someone could live with that smell permeating their house 24/7.

Regards;
Beanbag
 
Hey, I *like* the smell coming from those stores. It's the smell of a summer rain. But they're saying they don't clear the air of particles? That's disturbing news. I was about to buy one, too.

Is there any more info on this? Any sort of other tests done?
 
I have two ionic air cleaners in my house and I could not be happier with them. I have one in the bedroom and one in the living/kitchen area. They have made a significant difference in my ability to live with my alergies and asthma. I take less medication and have not had to use my inhaler in the house for about two weeks instead of twice a day.

You don't smell the ozone after a while.
 
They have made a significant difference in my ability to live with my alergies and asthma. I take less medication and have not had to use my inhaler in the house for about two weeks instead of twice a day.
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I too take less medicine and have much less symptoms from my alergies and asthma within the last three years (I am 29 now). However, I do not use any ionic filters. For me, I just seem to have gotten better (not 100% but definitely better).

I think ionic filters are horrible. I hate the ozone smell! I don't think that it is something that you should be ok with getting used to either... it is poisonous.
 
Babylon Sister, I hate to tell you this, but asthma is a strange disease. You see, it affects the lungs differently as you age. I know, for I, too, have asthma. Have had it all my life. It strikes the lungs most when they are weakest, generally in the young and old. I was told I would 'grow out of' my asthma, but it would come back to me later in life. I am now coming up on 29, and have had the fewest symptoms I've ever had. Does this mean I am cured? No. It simply means I'm in good health and my lungs are strong enough to 'fight off' the asthma. I am afraid that what you have is the Placebo effect. I certainly wish you well, however, I would also keep an eye on my meds were I you. BTW, Ozone is extremely dangerous for an asthmatic. It can do horrible damage to your lungs. I would be very worried about the idea that you 'got used to' the smell. People can 'get used' to sulfuric acid fumes, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia vapor. These things will still harm you. Just a few thoughts from the peanut gallery.....
 
I have dealt with my asthma for more than 40 years so I'm pretty aware of how it affects me, but thanks for your concern.

After reading these replys, I have done some looking into the ozone case and have decided that using the ionic machines may not be such a good idea. I have stopped using them.

Damn! It looks like its back to that noisey Hunter fan for me.

Does this make me a born-again HEPPA-filterist?
 
Babylon Sister said:
I have two ionic air cleaners in my house and I could not be happier with them. I have one in the bedroom and one in the living/kitchen area. They have made a significant difference in my ability to live with my alergies and asthma. I take less medication and have not had to use my inhaler in the house for about two weeks instead of twice a day.

You don't smell the ozone after a while.
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I'm pretty sure that homeopathic asthma crystals would work at least as well as an Ionic Breeze. The plus is you don't even have to plug them in.
 
Rob Lister said:
I'm pretty sure that homeopathic asthma crystals would work at least as well as an Ionic Breeze. The plus is you don't even have to plug them in.
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Did you read my second response?
 
Babylon Sister said:
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You don't smell the ozone after a while.
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That's the dangerous part so its good you stopped using them, you could be exposed to much higher concentrations than 50 ppb and never notice it. Ozone also numbs the olfactory system for other smells so thats one reason people think ionic air cleaners works.
It is possible to build electrostatic filters that doesnt give off ozone but if you neglect the maintenance it will start producing ozone eventually. HEPA filters sounds a lot better overall but I'm not sure anyone actually needs them, you would have to be extra sensitive to draw any benefit from them.
 
Babylon Sister said:
Did you read my second response?
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Yes. Do you want to buy some of my asthma crystals? they're only 12.95 each (you should need only four) and I offer a 100% no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. Please include 14.60 each to cover the special shipping and handling charges*.
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*shipping/handling charges non-refundable
 
Rob Lister said:
Yes. Do you want to buy some of my asthma crystals? they're only 12.95 each (you should need only four) and I offer a 100% no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. Please include 14.60 each to cover the special shipping and handling charges*.
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*shipping/handling charges non-refundable
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No thank you.
 
Babylon Sister said:
Did you read my second response?
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i do believe that the reason that Rob is making fun of you is that having a HEPA filter in your home is about as effective as the Ionic Breeze and the Magic Asthma Crystal for reducing asthma symptoms HEPA filters; ok for filtering dust from your vacuum cleaners output, bad for filtering large volumes of air, despite the marketing.
 
What is the evidence it does not "work" again? I am new here.
I have evidence to the contrary. I do know that it can "irritate" peoples respiratory tracts if used in excess but if used properly I am pretty sure It can kill and remove dusts, pollens etc.

You just can not trust the media anymore. If there was a "cure" for cancer do you really think the FDA and the drug company's would let it roll without a big "cut"! Cmon are we reallly that gullable?
 
Goddoesnotplaydice said:
What is the evidence it does not "work" again? I am new here.
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The first post links to the Consumer Reports article. I have found them to be reliable and even-handed on many items in the past.



I have evidence to the contrary. I do know that it can "irritate" peoples respiratory tracts if used in excess but if used properly I am pretty sure It can kill and remove dusts, pollens etc.
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If you have a site or link to look at, I am willing to be convinced -- but as I say, CR has earned a good reputation (and they apparently stuffed the breeze people in court on this issue, as well).


You just can not trust the media anymore. If there was a "cure" for cancer do you really think the FDA and the drug company's would let it roll without a big "cut"! Cmon are we reallly that gullable?
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I don't know how we got from air filters to a cure for cancer, but as I said, I am willing to look at your evidence. . .

N/A
 
I use the industrial strength models and I can see how a little low current 10 or so KV (kilo volt) model that puts out less than 0.0001 or so PPM of O3 or whatever would not do much. But hey, :) Mother Nature does it every time the air is ionized by a lightning strike. She has been doing it far longer then us and she does not mess around. SO my point is there is a reason for ionization for sure. WE rely on it to live. We just can not get away from it. It just IS apart of our universe and our planets cycles. There is no denying it. Stars and planets form with similar affects all around them. I know this as I have worked with high voltage and plasma for years. Most of us are just plain ignorant of what goes on around us (me included)! That does not mean it is not happening!

Fair enough, I will dig up a bunch-o-links for you all to read on ionization. There is so much ionization info out there it could spin off our heads. It will take a little "time".

GDNPD
:D :o
 
OK here is one about ball lightning in dust, smog and snow storms! Mommie earth is busy "cleaning" and we are not even aware of it! HMMM! we always seem to copy her don't we!

I think she's pretty "smart" to say the LEAST!!! :)

http://hot-streamer.com/teslacoils/... Physico-Chemical Model of Ball lightning.htm

As it has been widely known, quite strong horizontal atmospheric currents are able, to our estimates, to maintain the ball lightning. Those currents are especially high when volumetric charges are generated at the lightning storms, fogs, smogs, snow storms, dust storms. Those charges can maintain burning of the ball lightning same as they can induce illumination of electric bulbs [26].

Decrease of voltage and current in the atmosphere causes the ball lightning death (disappearance). However, at the critical discharge values (in a lightning storm) an explosion may happen or a linear lightning discharge (sparkle, arch) with an enormous amount of energy release - the ball lightning dies in the explosion. It is evident, that though the ball lightning has a relatively small stock of interior energy, it can initiate high energy discharges in the atmosphere. In principle, there is yet another possibility of a ball lightning death - a local explosion of a "chemical nature" with no discharge of a significant power- the energy of such an explosion is relatively small. It should be noted, that analysis of I, VI, X type equations shows that a stable regime of burning in the lightning can be obtained by variation of some etc... see link above.

Like I said earlyer our head will start to "spin" on this one!

let me kno if you want more and more....

GDNPD
 
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