Soaring demand for air purifiers in India; shoppers advised to verify product claims

Hyderabad: The demand for air purifiers has increased in India with increasing pollution in several cities. Breathing polluted air can result in lung-related diseases, including bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), posing a public health threat and economic burden on common people.

With the increase in demand, the number of products available in the markets has also increased. This calls for scrutiny while selecting a purifier with appropriate filters whose life cycle suits daily needs.

The government has advised the public to be cautious over the claims made by the manufacturers and has planned to conduct necessary tests to verify the standards of the products in the markets.

A boom in air purifier sales

Air purifiers have been in high demand to stay safe from air pollution in recent years. This has led to a boom in the air purifier sector, with the market value estimated to reach $1,169.10 million by 2030 from $157.20 million in 2022.

Concerns have been raised about the quality of air purifiers and the claims made by the manufacturing companies in public promotions, resulting in intervention from the Union Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry to verify the claims.

How to select appropriate air purifiers?

“We have to choose purifiers based on the quality of the cartridges used and the turnaround time of the filters. Good quality purifiers, which use ultraviolet and carbon-based filters, filter the particulate materials and other dust particles in the air, thus preventing chronic lung-related diseases,” said Dr Harish, consultant interventional pulmonologist at Amor Hospital, Hyderabad.

Air purifiers, with multiple filters, circulate the air through filters and remove the pollutants, resulting in the release of clean air to the room. Several studies have proved that using air purifiers indoors with closed windows can help reduce the pollutants in the air. This can also prevent allergies, improve sleep quality and increase lifespan.

Beware of claims by manufacturing companies

From being a luxury a couple of decades ago, air purifiers have become a necessity in India. With the market value and the demand for air purifiers increasing drastically, several companies have entered the market with huge promises about the effectiveness of their products.

Addressing a meeting on World Standards Day, minister for consumer affairs, Prahlad Joshi accused the air purifier companies of making false promises. “Companies that advertise their air purifiers with tall claims usually have nothing to show for them; they would mostly contain just a fan inside,” he said. Several concerns have been raised by the stakeholders, prompting the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs to plan for a market surveillance soon. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is also expected to examine compliance with the existing quality control orders.

Pollution and lung health

Air pollution, both indoor and outdoor, severely affects lung health after prolonged exposure. Around 2.1 million people died in India due to reasons associated with air pollution, which has increased by 60 per cent since 1990. Dr V Harish, said, “The outdoor pollution is primarily from the smoke emitted by vehicles and dust from construction sites. The particulate materials (PM) would be in the range of 0.3 to 10 microns which would affect the lung health of the individuals exposed to these environments.”

Several cities report extraordinarily poor air quality during festival seasons and otherwise. Delhi, known for very bad air quality, is the most polluted city in the world, as per the 2023 World Air Quality report by IQAir. Several other Indian cities were also featured in the list of most polluted cities globally, forcing the population to purchase air purifiers.