Not a purifier per se, but in a related context of ‘trust us’ we’ll give you something that looks like information and might be, or not, a number of vehicles now have A/C filters (that need to be replaced periodically) and some have air quality displays. My 2017 Renault has a user selective function that
The quality of the air in the vehicle is shown via an explanatory text and an animation on the multimedia screen.
I have not used it since it is ‘informative’ not authoritative and there are limited options if it gets bad.
Is it good, bad, or indifferent? Who knows at the end of the day, but it highlights that the filters and function is important enough to add to the vehicle, at least in the EU and thus wherever the vehicle is sold.
Many cars have HEPA cabin filters as standard kit…so it may be worth seeing what filter is already in one’s car or if it can be upgraded with a HEPA filter if it isn’t standard. It may be a far better proposition rather than jumping in and spending money on a in car purifier (which may not be necessary).
Great to hear the air purifier reviews are out soon, smoke air pollution from fuel reduction burns is terrible across Melbourne today. This will result in some premature deaths and more hospitalisation.
P95 masks were unavailable for many months due to being reserved for medical staff during the pandemic. I’m surprised you found there were too many to test on the market. Perhaps more arrived since COVID-19. People need the masks for these current conditions as well as bushfire and local smoke pollution.
Would you consider doing a ‘selecting an air pollution mask’ article similar to the selecting an air purifier article? This could cover issues such as seal, fabric feel, vents and straps. Washable masks such as the Cambridge Mask with higher than P95 rating are not well known but excellent.
It’s important for people to understand the current approved COVID-19 masks used by the community do not protect against air pollution.
NIOSH - N95, N99, N100
Or
P1, P2, P3 Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/ NZS 1716 :2012
Yes, there is a P95. They are the same particulate rating as a N95, but more expensive. They are strongly oil resistant. More suitable where there are chemical droplets in the atmosphere that can damage the mask.
If you need 24x7 protection the ‘Smart Mask’ revolution is under way. Whether they are worth the investment?
Chris, the face mask guide you refer to is focused on COVID-19 pandemic strategies.
It’s totally inappropriate for air pollution.
An article on masks for air pollution would be relevant to stricter pandemic protection.
Choice readers would benefit from being properly informed about air pollution masks.
