Ionisers - what do they do?

How do negative and positive ions differ?

We encounter two types of ions throughout our lives: positive and negative. Surprisingly enough, despite their name, positive ions are associated with polluted environments. Negative ions are associated with clean air and positive well-being.

Despite whether or not we live in an urban or polluted environment (where positive ions are the most present), we are constantly surrounded by positive ions. They are generated, sometimes in large quantities which are then released into the ambient air, by our screens, household appliances, tobacco usage, or even heating systems. In enclosed spaces, they can quickly accumulate (in an office, car, or house). Regular positive ion exposure can cause various unpleasant symptoms, some of which include fatigue, headaches, nausea, or a general feeling of malaise.

Negative ions, on the other hand, make us feel good. Some ways by which they have a positive effect on our physiology are by 1) promoting exchanges between cells with electrically charged membranes, 2) encouraging the penetration of oxygen in the lungs (which, as you may remember from chemistry class, is negatively ionised), and 3) stimulating enzyme action and neuromediator secretion (serotonin) and hormones (cortisol). The presence of negative ions in our surroundings can decrease our levels of stress, improve our concentration, help us sleep more easily, and/or make us feel great in general. Negative ions are commonly found in natural settings such as the mountains, the seaside, the forest, or even places that are basked in sunlight. As expected, these are places where we generally feel at peace.

Ionisers are an effective method to control pollution

In addition to the previously mentioned benefits, negative ions also have a strong ability to remove fine particles and, thus, clean indoor air.

How do they do this? Negative ions (negatively-charged ions, or “anions”), when diffused into a room, attach themselves to fine particles (neutral or positively-charged ions) suspended in the air. This phenomenon is called electrostatic attraction. Once the negative ions attach themselves to the fine particles, this will lead to disintegration of the fine particles or weigh them down and cause them to fall to the ground, safe from inhalation. Fine particles are, as a result, removed from the air you breathe.

Eoleaf air purifiers are two-in-one devices, serving as both purifiers and ionisers. Our devices use bipolar needle ionisation technology with a voltage of 6.0 kV. This technique was developed over twenty years ago and does not emit harmful levels of ozone, or does so only at an extremely low level, unlike corona discharge ionisation.

The ionisation technology used in our products is particularly powerful. We use an innovative design that uses eight separate conduction filaments, a feature that generates more than 20 million ions per cm3, 6.3 million at a distance of 1 metre and 0.5 million at a distance of 3 metres, all with a total range of 5 metres.

How does the ionisation feature work?

With Eoleaf’s air purifier models, when you turn on the device, the “ionisation” feature is activated by default. Simply press the “Anion” button on the control terminal to deactivate or reactivate it. When the function is activated, the icon appears at the top left of the screen.

You might be wondering: where is the best place to put my air purifier to allow it to be as efficient as possible? A location where the air will circulate around the device, preferably in the centre of a room, is ideal. We recommend living rooms or bedrooms since this is where we tend to spend the most amount of time. Using the device for 2 to 3 hours per day should be sufficient for most needs, but if you are prone to allergies or own a business, leaving it running is advised. Read more about ideal air purifier placement here.