Best Air Purifiers for Bacteria and Viruses

Many diseases and infections that afflict humans are caused by bacteria or viruses. Understanding the nature of these organisms is the key to designing ways of killing them and eliminating the diseases and infections they cause. Each of these organisms varies in one way or another from the rest and can react differently to treatments.

What are Bacteria and Viruses?

The term bacteria refer to a single-celled microorganism capable of both existing alone without a host and existing in the host organism while depending on it for food and survival. A bacterium that exists independent of any host is known as a free-living bacterium while those that cannot exist on their own and have to depend on other organisms for survival are known as a parasitic bacterium.

Research has shown that there are over 30,000 species of bacteria capable of causing infections. However, this number only accounts for the bacteria species whose internal and external characteristics have been studied. This number could be much higher than that given an improved level of research.

Examples of common bacteria include gonococcus, the bacteria that causes the disease gonorrhea, acidophilus, commonly residing in milk products such as yogurt, and streptococcus bacteria associated with throat infections in the human body.

Based on their general physical shape, bacteria are classified into four main forms.

The Bacillus assumes the shape of a rod and exists as single organisms or as long chains of them.
The Spirilla bacteria are spiral and are known to be free-living.
The Coccus bacteria are spherical and are the most common form of bacteria.
The Vibrio bacteria are generally shaped like a comma.

How to Kill Bacteria and Viruses

The method to use to kill bacteria depends on the location in or outside the human body. Some are harmful to the body and should be killed while others are helpful and should be preserved. The general way of killing them is through sterilization which involves the use of chemical agents to destroy any form of microorganisms on a surface. Chemicals either alter the metabolic system of the bacteria cell, denatures the cell walls, or alter all enzymatic reactions in these cells.

Physical methods of eliminating bacteria include the use of high temperatures such as flames or boiling water and the use of controlled radiation for mass destruction. Alcohols and iodine, and phenol solutions at the right concentrations are also known to kill bacteria.

Viruses on the other hand are purely parasitic microorganisms that are capable of reproducing on their own. To enable their continuity, viruses alter the cells that they infect to produce more of their kind. Viruses can be both living and non-living and possess the ability to change their form from time to time through a process known as mutation. Strictly, viruses can only possess DNA or RNA systems but never both at the same time.

The confirmation appearance of any virus is its protein coating and spiked lubes on its surface. Classification is typically based on the nucleic acid properties, whether RNA or DNA. The classification could also be based on the structure and general shape, reproduction properties, mode of transmission, and the kind of hosts they attack, whether plants, animals, or bacteria.

Viruses, unlike bacteria, are quite difficult to kill due to their mutating nature and half alive-half dead nature. Mutation makes them resistant to certain kinds of treatments over time. To kill the virus, its specific nature must be analyzed.

Soap is known to kill viruses that contain a fatty protein coating on their surface. The soap eats away this coating by oxidizing it and exposes the virus to die. Other ways of killing viruses involve destroying the virus during its lifecycle outside the host. This is done by regularly cleaning surfaces with appropriate chemical solutions. High-temperature treatment denatures viruses as well. Chemicals such as alcohols at a percentage higher than 60 also destroy viruses by corroding their protein coating.

Once the virus attacks the host, the major way to control it is to boost the body's immune system to fight the virus on its own. Mineral supplements such as zinc and plant acidulate such as garlic could serve this purpose. But, there are other ways to manage bacteria and viruses, namely, the use of air purification technologies.

Air Purifiers For Bacteria and Viruses

Ever since Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek first observed bacteria in the year 1676, science has expanded on our understanding from what was initially observed in ponds to what moves about in the air. In more recent history, Manfred and Klaus Hammes created the first home air filtration system in 1963. That year also saw the United States enact The Clean Air Act which help opened the door to innovative air purification technologies.

Since then HEPA (High-Efficient Particulate Air) Filters have mostly dominated the industry with various innovations around this central theme. This has included pre-filters to capture larger particles to save the HEPA for more fine particulate, activated carbon and zeolite to adsorb odor, and UV light to kill off the captured airborne viruses and bacteria.

More recent technologies have distinctly separated from HEPA and are more commonly known as Filterless Air Purifiers. Instead of trapping the airborne viruses and bacteria in a HEPA air filter and then finishing them off with UV light, these filterless devices leverage chemical reactions and electrical fields to kill the bacteria and viruses while they are still airborne.

Our goal is to present the air purifiers manufactured by the quality brands we represent that are most effective at killing viruses and bacteria. Unlike the marketing hype you often hear about air purifiers that kill harmful viruses and bacteria, below are select models that really get the job done for specific reasons. Most people say they are looking for an "air purifier that kills germs" and so we are here to help.