| Influenza, the common cold, pneumonia, and | | | | forced to re-circulate continuously and pollutants are |
| bronchitis - almost everyone has experienced at least | | | | trapped. By utilizing the natural benefits of negative |
| one of these ailments at one time or another and | | | | ions, indoor air pollutants, such as airborne bacteria |
| most often during the cold weather months when | | | | and viruses, are eradicated, leaving the air safe for |
| homes, schools, and workplaces are shut tight against | | | | breathing. |
| outdoor air. With the cold weather season quickly | | | | Air ionizers work by preventing such hazardous |
| approaching, vaccines are being readied, shelves are | | | | pollutants from circulating in the air that is to be |
| being stocked with medications, and prevention | | | | inhaled by others, quickly stopping the spread of |
| guidelines are being compiled for distribution. People | | | | illness even while people closely interact. Once |
| want to be prepared, and no one wants to get sick. | | | | emitted into a room by a negative ion generator, |
| During the seasons of autumn and winter, the threat | | | | these negatively charged ions immediately begin to |
| of contracting an illness is much greater as people are | | | | attract pollutants, which are positively charged. As |
| confined to buildings and packed into places with | | | | the negative ions and positively charged pollutants |
| decreased ventilation. And because not everyone | | | | form clusters, they become heavy, ultimately falling |
| follows the general guidelines for reducing the spread | | | | out of the air where they can be easily vacuumed, |
| of disease (washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, | | | | dusted, or disinfected away. |
| coughing/sneezing into a sleeve, staying home when | | | | In the same way that viruses and bacteria are taken |
| ill), employing other safeguards against illness is often | | | | from the air through the use of a negative ion |
| necessary. One preventative measure, known to | | | | generator, other pollutants are removed as well. |
| destroy viruses and bacteria for decades, is proven | | | | Dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, smoke, and |
| very effective. | | | | chemicals are all eliminated as negative ions, produced |
| This prevention method is simply the utilization of one | | | | by air ionizers, pull them from the air. Because such |
| of the earth's natural cleansers - negative ions. These | | | | particulates can irritate the respiratory system and |
| ions, which are found in abundance around waterfalls, | | | | weaken the immune system, this added benefit of |
| at beaches, and after thunderstorms, are most often | | | | negative ions is of great importance in resisting illness. |
| produced in nature when a neutral particle, such as a | | | | Through the benefits of negative ions, air is made |
| water molecule, loses an electron upon impact. Once | | | | much cleaner as pollutants are eradicated. |
| the electron has escaped, it then attaches itself to | | | | Because pollutants, such as those causing illness, can |
| another nearby particle. If the resulting atom or | | | | be readily emitted into the air through a cough or |
| molecule contains more electrons than protons, a | | | | sneeze and because other hazardous particulates are |
| negative charge is created and, thus, a negative ion. | | | | continuously present, it is important to keep the |
| In more modern environments, negative ion | | | | negative ion generator in constant use. These air |
| generators can create the same cleansing effects | | | | ionizers are inexpensive to run and extremely |
| indoors where, according to the Environmental | | | | effective, allowing the benefits of negative ions to |
| Protection Agency, air is anywhere from two to ten | | | | purify the air consistently as long as they are in use. |
| times more polluted than that outdoors. This is | | | | With the help of air ionizers, this cold weather season |
| especially important in airtight buildings where air is | | | | could be a much healthier one. |