Negative Ions and the effect they have on indoor plants

Our penjing 

I often google for things trying to find an authority on a subject who has written about it, yet the first ten pages I click on always seem to be an expert only to not be once you check thoroughly. It makes it hard to really know what is true, what is hearsay and what has just been made up. Blogs are really the main culprit causing opinions to be taken as fact.

I often try and check claims made by any article, regardless who has written it. One such claim has been the increased rate at which plants grow in an area highly saturated with negative ions. The problem with this was that it was a claim made in research done by some university or another that then kept on being repeated, with the original paper being hard to find. I make it my business to know the true extent that negative ions affect us, our animals and our plants.

This is why first-hand experience is always a wonderful thing to share especially when you have proof. I always like hearing and seeing first-hand experience on things because there often is no hidden agenda.

We have a tree, not sure what type it is but we have had it for about 2 years located either in the living room or on the balcony.  It's beautiful and grows predominantly at the top, sprouting new leaves and branches, with the rest of the tree growing very slowly. Each growth spurt can easily be seen and compared to previous growth spurts.

The plant has been growing evenly for the entire time we had it and there never really was any distinguishable changes in rate or speed of growth. Not until recently anyway. In our old apartment, it spent the past 12 months or so either on the balcony or in the living room more than 2 meters away from the closest ionizer. We moved apartment and as it happens the tree is now located very close (15 inches) to one of our High Output Negative Ion Generators. The ion count around the tree is around 100-200 Million ions/cc (cubic centimeter).

As we can see in the first picture the change is quite noticeable and you can see the growth being near enough double that of what we have previously seen.

The second picture from a different angle shows more height during this past 4-6 weeks growth along with a much longer extension of the leaves.

This shows clearly, given that you can accept my post to be written truthfully, that high levels of negative ions aid plant growth and do so quite noticeably. We have not done anything differently in regards to care and watering. The only change is a new apartment where it gets the same if not slightly less sun.

I do believe the picture will show much more than what I can possibly say and hope you find it as wonderful as I do. If something aids a plant that is not subject to placebo, then the chance that it truly does aid our health and that of our animals is quite high.

I have no doubt high levels of negative ions aid our bodies in many ways, certainly not a cure all magical pill as some would try to advertise them, but a wonderful boost to our health.

As always, the ionizer in the particular picture is a NaturAir Twin Air Pro Negative Ion Generator and can be found here: www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/p7_Twin-Air-Pro-Ionizer-Negative-Ion-Generator.html

Negative Ions and common household odors.

Previously we did a little experiment to see the effects of negative ions on PM2.5 levels and that turned out to be a great success. Negative ions very effectively remove PM2.5 particles out of the air, and smells are merely very small particles floating around in the air. It would then be perfectly normal to assume that negative ions would in fact severely reduce random smells in the house based on the results of those experiments.

Our previous apartment, we just moved to a new place, had a second bedroom that was turned into a study/library of sorts. The windows in there didn't have a great seal and we tended to keep that door closed most of the time to keep the cold/heat/pollution out. None of the ions generated by our machines ever made it into that room.



Often walking into it, I would notice the air quality in there being in stark contrast to the air in the rest of the apartment where we have a constant supply of negative ions. It was stale and the PM2.5 measurements in there, despite the windows being closed was always above 50. The one corner of the room behind the sofa had for some reason a moldy smell despite no mold being visible. The room was just extra space that we forgot about mostly and used to store our books.

One day however, a friend came to stay, and that room was required for a few weeks. The door was opened but there was still a faint smell after a few hours. The friend moved in and after a few days her personal smell (we all have one) started to be dominant in that room. It was quite interesting to note, as our bedroom has no person smell, no smell of anything out of the ordinary really. We have two cats shedding their fur everywhere yet no smell, and this is commented on by many who visit us.

We had already gifted her with a negative ion generator and she must have switched it on one day by herself because going in there looking for a specific book, I was met with perfect air. She kept the door closed, and normally that room would have a stale stuffy smell, recently mixed with her personal smell, yet there was no smell in the air at all. Quite perplexed I looked around and noticed she had switched on the ion generator. The difference in air quality is quite staggering and I was genuinely quite confused for a few moments not understanding what could have caused such a noticeable change.

For parents with teenagers who sleep till noon and have messy rooms, this is a viable answer to keeping the smell emanating/radiating from their rooms under control. Those who have dogs in the house with a distinct dog smell in the house, they do wonders for that too. I had gifted a negative ion generator to a friend who had a large dog share his bed at night, and he reported back that after a few days of having the ion generator run full time that the smell was gone. Leaving the room and coming back hours later he was met with a completely neutral smell.

Many of us love animals yet don't always love the smells associated with them. A powerful negative ion generator can help in these cases and most of the time completely remove such smells and keep them under control. The effect isn't instant, but give it a few hours to a few days, and you will be amazed.

As always, the Negative Ion Generators talked about and used can be found here: www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/d34220_NaturAir-Negative-ion-generator-ionizer.html

Pollution (PM2.5), Negative Ions and a look at how effective ions are at reducing PM2.5 levels.

I live in shanghai and the air isn't always great. This has caused me to take great interest in methods to ensure the air quality in my home is high. Today I will focus on the effects that negative ions have on PM2.5 levels.

PM2.5 levels refer to the amount of particles floating around in the air smaller than 2.5 microns. A human hair is roughly 70 microns thick.

Instead of talking about published research I will rather do my own experiments today, and give the results as best I can along with pictures. I intend to test just how effective negative ions are at reducing PM2.5 levels. I have now numerous times come across unfounded articles that say only HEPA filtration devices can remove PM2.5. I know this is not true, and will demonstrate it today.

I will conduct 3 separate tests according to the following.

Setting

I have a smallish balcony, about 4m x 2m giving me about 8 square meters (90 Square feet) and 24 cubic meters (847 Cubic Feet) of air. One side of the balcony is closed off with sliding doors leading into the apartment, and the other with sliding windows that can either be opened or closed depending on weather. The sliding windows unfortunately do not give a good seal, and we will have both inside air going out, and outside air coming in.

Air Conditions

According to two sources, the air quality in Shanghai 27 March 2017 is 128 ug/m3 on the Iphone weather APP and 177 ug/m3 according the the AirPocalypse APP.  My personal reading prior to starting tests of the air quality on the balcony with windows open was 87 ug/m3. We don't live in the city center.

This means with the sliding windows that don't seal properly, we will have the outside air affecting lower PM2.5 levels.

Interference

The air quality of outside air due to the windows not having a good seal does affect the lower readings. We have air with PM2.5 levels over 100 ug/m3 continuously entering the testing area which will affect how low the reading can go. Had we had a perfect seal, the readings could go lower for both test 2 and 3. The opposite is true for test 1. The second hand smoke would have stayed in higher levels for longer.

Test 1: 10:30
Test 2: 09:00
Test 3: 07:30

Equipment

The PM2.5 meter that I will be using gives PM2.5 and PM10 readings, either a single reading, or a continuous reading in the form of a chart. It is a Chinese name brand, was relatively inexpensive (100 Dollars) but seems to give very accurate readings.

The Negative Ion Generator is a NaturAir Twin Air Pro Negative Ion Generator. This specific ionizer was one of my prototypes. It was manufactured in June 2016 and has been running 24/7 in my home since then. It's 9 months old, and still produces negative ions in the trillions. It is exactly as effective as it was the first day I started using it.

Procedures

1. Will light a cigarette and leave it to burn out. I will then take a PM2.5 reading after 10 mins, 30 mins and 60 mins. The Negative Ion Generator will remain switched off so we can see the natural drop off based on the testing setting, conditions and interference.

2.Will light a cigarette and leave it to burn out. I will then switch on a powerful Negative Ion Generator after 10 mins. I will take a PM2.5 reading after 10 mins, 30 mins and 60 mins.

3. The Negative Ion Generator will be switched on 30 mins before lighting the sigarette. I will allow the PM2.5 meter to take continuous readings of the air quality for up to an hour. I will note readings after 10 mins, 30 mins and 60 mins.

PM2.5 levels were checked and found to be stable at around 85-88 ug/m3 prior to test 1 and 2. Windows were open. Test 3 had windows closed to allow ion concentration to build up with PM2.5 levels at the start of the test being 38.9 ug/m3.

Final word prior to testing

I believe the 3 different experiments will show how negative ions affect PM2.5 levels to a reasonable degree.

The reason I use a sigarette is because 1 sigarette and the smoke it produces leaves the PM2.5 levels at over 999 ug/m3. My meter maxes out at 999 ug/m3 so we cannot know today just how bad smoking (Second hand smoke for family and friends) really is for our health. All smokers please pay careful attention to the air quality you are introducing into your home if you do smoke inside.

The table below and the cautionary statements should be an eye opener for anyone who smokes indoors. Levels above 300 ug/m3 but still below 500 ug/m3 have serious warnings associated with them and is classed as HAZARDOUS. 1 cigarette in a non-ventilated non-ionized area pushed levels well above 999 ug/m3.

PM2.5 levels and what they mean:

Air Quality Index (AQI)	PM2.5 Health Effects Statement	Cautionary Statement
Good (0-50)	PM2.5 air pollution poses little or no risk.	None
Moderate (51-100)	Unusually sensitive individuals may experience respiratory symptoms.	Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups(101-150)	Increasing likelihood of respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly.	Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy (151-200)	Increased aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly; increased respiratory effects in general population.	Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
Very Unhealthy (201-300)	Significant aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly; significant increase in respiratory effects in general population.	Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
Hazardous (301-500)	Serious aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly; serious risk of respiratory effects in general population.	Everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion.

Results

Test 1

During this test, no negative ions were introduced with windows open prior to test. After 10 mins the PM2.5 levels were 999 ug/m3. After 20 mins the PM2.5 levels naturally faded to 316.8 ug/m3 and after 60 mins the residual PM2.5 levels were 171.7 ug/m3.

During the test, around the 30 minute mark there is a significant drop off in PM2.5 levels. I am not sure if my opening the door to go and take the picture allowed a great deal of bad air to escape, of if there was a pick up in wind activity. As per the graph we can see the PM2.5 levels drop suddenly, then stay around the same level with only small drops being noted during the last 20 minutes.

Test 2

The Ionizer is not switched on for the first 10 minutes of readings. Over the period of 10 minutes we can see the PM2.5 levels climb to 999 ug/m3 (max reading of my meter). At the 10 minutes mark, I switch the Negative ion generator on. Reading at 10 mins is 999 ug/m3. After 30 mins (20 mins with ionizer running) the PM2.5 reading was 372.2 ug/m3 and after 60 mins the levels were down to 105.9 ug/m3. We can see a gradual and consistent drop in PM2.5 levels.

Test 3

With the area already filled with negative ions we can see a huge difference into the PM2.5 levels caused by smoke. The smoke and harmful particles are removed very quickly never allowing the PM2.5 levels to reach 999 ug/m3 or higher. Within 30 minutes the smell of smoke was no longer apparent with PM2.5 levels at 51.5 ug/m3. After 60 mins the PM2.5 levels were at 43.4 ug/m3. 

Table for comparison

Color coding for this table is different from the Air Quality Index (AQI) table due to the AQI table maxing out at 500 ug/m3.

	Reading after 10 minutes	Reading after 30 mins	Reading after 1 hour
Test 1 - No Negative Ions	999 ug/m3	316.8 ug/m3	171 ug/m3
Test 2 - Negative ions after 10 mins	999 ug/m3	372.2 ug/m3	105.9 ug/m3
Test 3 - Negative ions 30 mins before	595.6 ug/m3	51.5 ug/m3	43.4 ug.m3

Conclusion

The results clearly show that an area full of negative ions prevent PM2.5 levels from building up, and in turn has the levels or harmful particles in the air drop a lot quicker than without the negative ions present.

Test 1 we see after 15-20 mins there is a drastic drop in the PM2.5 levels. We are not sure exactly what caused this (gust of wind could be the culprit), and will rerun this part of the experiment at one point to see what the actual natural drop off is. The main figure to look at is the measurement after an hour and compare that to the measurement of Test 3 when Negative ions were present prior to the experiment starting and having had time to build up.

Test 2 we can see that by the 30 min mark the negative ions had not had enough time to really bind to, and drag down the particles in the air. The ionizer was switched on after PM2.5 levels were already high and needed time to be able to build up and go to work. The reading after 60 mins and if we look at the continuous reading shows a steady decline path. Already the air was much cleaner than without the ionizer present.

' By causing allergens such as pollen, mold spores, dust, and animal dander floating in the air (which have either a neutral or a positive charge) to be attracted to and stick to each other, forming 'clumps' (because opposite charges attract). These clumps of particles then become heavy enough so that gravity can pull them down to the floor, where they can be vacuumed up, rather than staying in suspension'

Negative ions need time to build up, and in bad quality air, take a little longer to build up to the required levels to remove particles floating about in the air.

Test 3 show clearly that once the ions have had time to build up, the difference they make to air quality is quite noticeable. The concentration of negative ions in the air was already very high, allowing them to quickly bind to and drag down particles floating around in the air.

These results would indicate the any articles claiming that only HEPA filters can remove/lower PM2.5 levels are wrong. Negative ions do an amazing job of removing PM2.5 levels quickly and lowering them to a level considered safe.

Negative ions aid our health in ways documented many times over. They are as effective at removing PM2.5 as HEPA filters and have the additional benefit of aiding our health more than just the clean air a product reliant on filters can do.

As always, the ionizer used in the testing today can be found here:

www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/d34220_NaturAir-Negative-ion-generator-ionizer.html

How do negative ion generators / ionizers affect your meditation?

Many people nowadays try to practice meditation. There are so many different forms of meditation, and so many opinions on how to effectively meditate that it's hard to really know what is going on.

Meditation in simple terms is complete focus or concentration on an object, whether that object be physical or non physical. You are actively focusing on something to the exclusion of other things. There are many different methods, some which use visualization, some which use tangible feelings others a combination of both and then there are those that purely have the intent of noticing what is going on.

Many believe that you meditate better and have better results when feeling tired, after having had long day. Some actively stay awake with little sleep so that they can meditate. Thinking it is easier to enter a state between sleeping and waking, seemingly meditating for hours without it feeling as long. They are falling asleep thinking they are entering deep levels of meditation. This is not a good way to achieve the results you want from meditation.

It doesn't matter in which way you meditate really, all methods in essence require focus and concentration. Focus and concentration are the two key aspects required to have a meaningful meditative experience.

Negative ions will, and have been proven in many studies to, improve focus and concentration. Sitting / Standing / Laying down / Walking in an area high in negative ions with the intent of mediating will improve your overall focus and concentration for the entire time you are there. High levels of negative ions will help your mind and breathing settle into a state of calmness much quicker than if there were none.This means your will have your body relaxed, but your mind awake and alert, much quicker than without high levels of negative ions.

Most of us know the feeling of calmness you get when near a waterfall, on the beach or in a forest. Meditation in these areas is greatly improved, with a key factor being the high negative ion count. Sadly we all cannot go to these areas every day for meditation and we are left without the benefit.

This is not entirely true though. There is no difference between negative ions produced by nature, or by an Ionizer.  Truth be told an ionizer can produce negative ions in numbers than nature can't, and if you manage to find an ionizer than doesn't produce any ozone or positive ions, then you will experience the deeper levels of meditation in your own home, that can normally only be experienced when going to these above mentioned places.

My personal meditation has improved and I can easily feel the difference when meditating in a room with a powerful Ionizer present. They are worth the cost in my opinion and with improved meditation only being a very small aspect of the benefits that they bring, so many more benefits remain to be discussed.

Further reading can be done here: www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/d34222_Negative-ion-generators-Ionizer-Meditation.html

Are negative ions safe?

So many things on the market these days that seem to be the next best thing, only to be found harmful in another way a year down the line. This is an important question to ask when considering anything new. Is it safe?

With decades of studies, some short term, some long, some on animals and others on people, I have not come across a single one that showed negative side effects from being exposed to high levels of negative ions. Not a single study found any adverse affects from negative ions. It is then fairly safe to assume that negative ions are beneficial, and in no way harmful.

All things good for us do have a tipping point where too much becomes a bad thing. Negative ions however, fight a losing battle, and the point of ever reaching that limit (if it even exists), seems impossible to reach. We are constantly exposing ourselves to things that counteract the good negative ions do. Pollution, bad food, bad sleeping habits, air conditioners, central heating, computers, tvs, printers, some supplements and medicines (not all, just some) and, and and. The list is never ending.

I have 3 ionizers running full time in my home, and my health over the past year since having 3 running full time has only improved. My energy levels are up, my immune system is up, my mood always good and overall I feel healthier than the previous year. I have adopted an overall healthier lifestyle aswel, cutting out or down on many harmful things from my life such as sugar, caffeine, drinking and smoking. Negative ions by themselves, can only make so much difference. There is a big part that we can play in helping them. Small changes to a healthier way of being easily and quickly become good things when we realize the energy levels and overall feeling we had is not the way it is meant to be.

It is then safe to assume that negative ions do in fact benefit us greatly, and having an Ionizer in the home will benefit our lives. The issue and the danger comes from another aspect of negative ions. They are generated by a machine and these machines can have 1 of 3 shortcomings with it

1. It can produce no negative ions.
2. It can produce a large amounts of ozone.
3. It can produce positive ions.

The first point isn't really a big deal, your health won't decline from it, but you have wasted money buying something that doesn't produce the goods.

The second point is a very important thing to consider. Ozone is extremely bad for us. High in the atmosphere it plays a vital role in protecting us from the suns harmful UV rays, but in our homes, not so much. Ozone will harm the soft tissue in your respiratory tract, full stop. There is no good that comes from inhaling ozone, despite the few silly articles written recently trying to say that small amounts of ozone can increase the immune system. Don't fall for it, your immune system increases in the short term because your body is defending itself. In the long term, it will drain your system, and things will become out of balance, ruining the slightly stronger immune system that you gained in the short term.

Ozone is easily detectable by it's smell. It's quite potent and most people immediately develop a scratchy throat. If you have an ionizer running, and you can smell any sort of funny smells 12 inches (30 cm) from it, turn it off. You are doing more harm than good.

The third point is nearly as important as the second. Positive ions do harm inside your body, There are a few articles online that claim that our bodies need positive ions to be in balance, I believe they are misguided. All you need to do is look at the effects that positive ions have on our bodies. They are the exact opposite of negative ions. Negative ions have effects that increase respiratory function, oxygen absorption, waste removal, mental function, stabilize hormone levels, and the list goes on. If the change is good for you, then you can be sure it's something that high levels of negative ions are responsible for.

Positive ions do the exact opposite and will reduce your bodies ability to function at an optimum level. It counteracts every single thing that negative ions promote. In no way, should you balance out high levels of negative ions with high levels of positive ions. Any one out there who does not believe me or disagrees with me, please sit in front of a positive ion generator and tell me how you feel after 30 mins.

In conclusion, there are no known negative effects from high levels of negative ions as far as the thousands of studies on them indicate. I have read and continue to read studies, articles, research papers and anything related to ions that I can get my hands on. There are many negative effects from badly designed or poorly functioning negative ion generators / ionizers though so please do be careful when buying one.

Ionizers that were designed with everything I talk about in mind can be found here: www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/d34220_NaturAir-Negative-ion-generator-ionizer.html

The best place to put your new Negative Ion Generator / Ionizer.

Now that we have learned about negative ions, we have learned key features to look out for when purchasing a negative ion generator and we have hopefully bought something that will function as promised. The next step is knowing where to place it so that you get the most out of your negative ion generator.

As we have discussed before, negative ions are used up very, very quickly. Depending on the output of you ionizer, will have a huge impact on where to put it, and how far away from it you have to be to get real health benefits from it.

If you have an  ionizer that has an ion output of about 5 trillion ions per cubic centimeter, then by the time you are 1 meter (3 feet) away from it, the ion count will already have dropped to around 1-5 million. At 4 meters (12 feet) you will be down to about 2-10 thousand ions per cubic centimeter. This figure is very important, as we want to be in areas with over 2000 ions/cc to really get a benefit in our daily lives. This is essentially the ion count one can expect to find in a forest.

Location	Ions/cm3 (Approx)
Waterfall	5,000-100,000
Cave	5,000-20,000
Forest	1,000-5,000
Countryside	700-1,500
City Streets	0-300
Home	0-100

Having an ion count of around 2000 ions/cc is the minimum you really want in areas of your home you will be spending a lot of time in, but having more is always better. This is why placement is so vitally important.

Negative ions will be attracted to absolutely everything. The pollution in the air, the walls, the floor, the furniture and anything else around. Our modern building materials are not ion friendly, and here again, some knowledge will help you get the most out of your new product.

If you have an omnidirectional product, that is a product that releases ions in a 360 degree angle, then you want that ion generator placed in the most central location that you are able to in a room. As far away from any furniture, with the most amount of open air around it as possible. Negative ions can then spread into the air, being pushed further and further from the emission point. A negative repels another negative which means the more ions you are generating, the further they will be pushed into the room. If you place your ionizer well, less ions will be lost by absorption.

If you have a directional negative ion generator, then things are slightly easier. Now there is no requirement to have it centrally placed within a room(which is hard to pull off), and you have more options regarding position and elevation. Having ions directed in a particular direction means you can have it against a wall, or in a corner, facing the biggest area of open air available. You are also able to place in centrally, with an even distance from both the floor and the ceiling to allow the highest amount of negative ions to fill the air.

If you are hoping to benefit health wise with you new ionizer, then having it close to an area where you spend a lot of time would be a good idea. The closer you are, the more ions you breathe in, and the more benefit you will gain. Closer than a meter (3 foot) is something I would avoid. Buying a powerful ionizer that can emit an ion amount of over 100 000 ions/cc at around 1.5 meters (5 foot)  would then be ideal.

Electronics and negative ions however do not go well together, and it is wise to have at least 1 meter (3 Feet) distance between your ionizer and your electronic devices. A distance double that would be even better if possible.

Negative ions are wonderful for cleaning the air. A powerful ionizer can lower the PM2.5 level in whichever room it is in to below 10. This is extremely clean air and is what we should all strive to have. Having a huge open window letting the polluted air from the outside into your home in large quantities will drastically reduce ion count and any benefits you get from it. If a window needs to be open, have it open slightly, and if at all possible, do not place your ionizer close to one.

Lastly, if you have a humidifier in the home, try and have it in a separate room to the ionizer. If you use a ultra sonic humidifier, then have your ionizer as far away from it as possible. These humidifiers will fill the air with whatever contaminants were in the water you filled your humidifier with. Best case scenario you will get white stains all around your ionizer(the surface becomes electrically charged and pulls contaminants out of the air), worst case scenario you will be damaging your lungs and be sickly constantly.

I didn't mean to ramble for so long, but I hope this will help others to better place their ionizer / negative ion generator to get the most benefit out of it. It will hopefully also help you understand how important a really high ion output is when you want to have a whole room filled with negative ions and if you hope to improve your health and energy levels then it needs to be even higher.

For really powerful ionizers that deliver what is promised take a look at our range or products here: www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/d34220_NaturAir-Negative-ion-generator-ionizer.html

Things to consider when choosing an Ionizer / Negative Ion Generator.

Negative ions and their benefits are slowly becoming more known, and in light of this, many companies have jumped onto the Ionizer band wagon. The science behind generating negative ions is extremely simple really. There just isn't a lot to designing one, or even making one at home. The real difficulty comes into manufacturing one that is good. One that produces the required amount of negative ions, without the dangerous byproducts that come with a badly designed Ionizer, namely, Ozone and Positive ions.

Understanding negative ions to a small degree is really all you need to know to ensure that you can choose the right product. So, let's discuss negative ions quickly.

Negative ions are molecules with an extra electron, which means they hold a negative charge. That negative charge means the molecule in question becomes attracted to most things. This includes small particles in the air, the walls, the floors, your body, and a fair amount will end up in your blood, increasing oxygen absorption by about 20%.

The fact that negative ions attach to everything is an extremely important thing to take into consideration. They are being used up very, very quickly. You need to have a constant source of them, to have even the slightest chance of having clean air, with enough negative ions left over to aid your health somewhat.

This brings us to the first point to consider.

Ion Count

Most ionizers on the market will give you a figure, let's say, 20 million ions/cc. This means the ionizer is producing 20 million negative ions per cubic centimeter (Roughly the size of a sugar-cube). The fact that they don't mention where this figure was taken, implies that it is directly next to the ionizer's emitting point. We need to remember that everything is attracting these ions and using them up, and what you are left with, is no ions even 3 feet (1 meter) away from the ionizer. 20 Million might seem like a lot, but when we are trying to fill a room, we just won't get the desired results.

If you are looking for a powerful ionizer capable of filling a room or office, these figures are important and I will list what I believe are the minimum amounts of negative ions at different distances from the ionizer.

At 10cm (4inches) - 100 Million
At 30cm (12inches) - 20 Million
At 50cm (20inches) - 1 Million
At 1m (3 feet) - 100 Thousand

For a personal ionizer that you want to keep next to your computer to fight of the fatigue that normally comes with using one, a count of 20 million might be enough. It is for personal, close proximity only, not for a whole room. 

Earlier I mentioned how we want to avoid Ozone and Positive ions and that brings me to my next point.

Ozone and/or positive ion output

First, what are ozone and positive ions.

A positive ion is a molecule that has lost an electron and now holds a positive charge, all while actively looking to take a charge(electron) so that it can become neutral or balanced again. They wreak havoc on our bodies and will cause all sorts of problems. The problem is that a positive ion cannot be smelt and we won't know about them until the symptoms start to show.

Ozone is an oxygen molecule that consists of 3 Oxygen atoms instead of 2. Ozone is exceptionally important high in the atmosphere where it protects us from the suns harmful UV rays, but extremely bad for our lungs and eyes here closer to ground level. No Negative Ion Generator that claims to aid health, should be producing Ozone in levels that can be smelt. Luckily for us, ozone has a very distinct smell and it's not hard to notice if the Ionizer you own is producing it.

Ozone is a by product when producing negative ions. This cannot be avoided, but the amount produced can be either very little or a lot. Ozone has a very short half-life, and if the quantity produced is only a little, then the ozone count can never build up and can not cause harm. This is why a well designed negative ion generator is so extremely important. Ozone will negate any health benefit that might come from the ions being emitted.

Ozone output is measured in PPM (parts per million) and according to OSHA these are the guidelines for ozone in the workplace.

0.2 ppm for no more than 2 hours exposure
0.1 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing light work
0.08 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing moderate work
0.05 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing heavy work

These figures are for the workplace, and surely you want the figures at home to be lower than even their lowest recommendation. This means you don't want an ionizer producing anything over 0.05 ppm. A good Ionizer will produce 0.015 ppm or less. At this level, ozone levels never build up and can't cause any harm.

Talking about design, let's have a discussion about design.

Design 

As previously mentioned, negative ions want to attach to almost everything. The area around the ionizer will become electrically charged, and attract dirt out of the air. This is the dreaded "Black wall" that is often talked about.

Black wall is unavoidable unfortunately. You can do things to lessen the effect and this is again where good design comes in. You want a negative ionizer with an emission point as high as possible from the surface it is standing on. The closer to the surface, the more that surface will become electrically charged, the more negative ions are immediately lost and the quicker the dirt from the air will stick to it and cause a black mess. (Coincidentally, a very high output of ions that are restricted from naturally flowing and moving is a big cause of ozone production)

Having the ionizer body isolated from the surface it is standing on with non conductive feet make a huge difference. The ionizer body will also become electrically charged, and having a design that stops this from spreading onto the surface the ionizer is standing on is an important thing to consider.

The emission point, that is the point where the electrons are generated, should not be hidden inside the Ionizer. Air purifiers that also claim negative ion output all make this mistake. They have their negative ions emitted into the body of the air purifier and none of them make it out. If your goal is to get negative ions in your home, buy an Ionizer and stay away from fan based, air purifiers with filters.

This brings me to the last topic that I want to discuss today.

Cost

That horrible saying that everyone knows is "buy cheap, buy twice". This is true for most things in life but we aren't all millionaires and it's not always an option to buy something expensive.

The higher quality negative ion generators that are designed to fill a room with negative ions and not also ozone, cost between 150-300 American Dollars. This is a reasonable price to pay in my opinion, and prior to manufacturing Ionizers, I was a consumer. I tried many different products, and as we all do when we first try something new, I dipped my little toe into the Ionizer pool by buying cheap.

I very quickly thought that negative ions were a big hype, and felt almost sick being around this ionizer. It wasn't until I bought an Ion Meter that I realized this ionizer was producing negative ions, positive ions and tons of ozone all in one.

Now, I am not saying that some products out there that are cheaper are not worth while, just that it's worth while to understand negative ions a little better to help ensure you get something that is going to deliver what you want.

I could go on and cover more points, but I believe this will do for now. I have ionizers running in my home 24/7 and would never live without them again. This is due to the fact that I have high quality ionizers, and with the little bit of knowledge that I now have, I hope to help others find the right product to bring the benefits that I have experienced myself. If that right product is one of mine, then all the better.

Take a look at our products here: www.naturaironline.com/contents/en-uk/d34220_NaturAir-Negative-ion-generator-ionizer.html