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Can someone please point me to actual studies validating the "ion" generation stuff? My dad insists that a wearable ion generator he bought works "because it's

Can someone please point me to actual studies validating the "ion" generation stuff? My dad insists that a wearable ion generator he bought works "because it's made by NASA" (it's not) but I can't find studies that validate the technology. Thanks in advance!

falcolas 6y ago
Veratasium dug into it in quite a bit of depth. TL;DR: It doesn't do much (if any good). Worth watching, regardless. https://youtu.be/ZQ--scjcAZ4 https://youtu.be/ZQ--scjcAZ4
- petertodd 6y ago
  That's not actually what Veritasium found. What they found is evidence that there aren't health benefits to the ions themselves, and there are potential harms from the ozone pollution that many of those generators create. But for air filtration, properly working negative ion generators certainly cause particles to leave the air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7QFJgTjzcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7QFJgTjzcc The thing is, that means they end up on surfaces near the ion generator. That isn't necessarily a good thing. Proper HEPA filters are more likely to be what you want, as they remove particles entirely, putting them in a filter that can be disposed of.
- deegles 6y ago
  That's a really good video, although it seems to focus on the health benefits of direct ion exposure. I like how he methodically breaks down the claims and the purported science behind them. I would like to know more about the claimed Covid-related ion effects.
anessaiver 6y ago
Ionizers work through two mechanisms: 1. Charged particles stick together, forming larger clumps that eventually drop out of the air. 2. Charged particles can build up on the surface of airborne pathogens, sometimes directly disrupting membranes or lipid layers, and if there is enough of a buildup they can induce an electric current through the organism that can kill / inactivate it. One study on bipolar ionization showed antiviral efficiencies were 64.3, 89.1, and 97.4% with exposure times of 15, 30, and 45 min, respectively (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094352/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094352/). The advantage to ion generation based air purification systems is that they are able to actively operate in occupied spaces, not relying on air to get pumped out of a return duct and through a filter or UV system. It's not possible for them to achieve an instantaneous elimination of airborne pathogens, but any significant percentage reduction can help to lower the total viral load that people in the room are being exposed to. That being said, it's unlikely that what he's wearing around his neck will generate a sufficient quantity of ions to make much of a difference. It wouldn't be enough to fill the room, and the amount of time any such ions would have to act on a particle that comes close to him really isn't enough to have a large impact.

falcolas 6y ago

Veratasium dug into it in quite a bit of depth. TL;DR: It doesn't do much (if any good). Worth watching, regardless. https://youtu.be/ZQ--scjcAZ4 https://youtu.be/ZQ--scjcAZ4

petertodd 6y ago
That's not actually what Veritasium found. What they found is evidence that there aren't health benefits to the ions themselves, and there are potential harms from the ozone pollution that many of those generators create. But for air filtration, properly working negative ion generators certainly cause particles to leave the air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7QFJgTjzcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7QFJgTjzcc The thing is, that means they end up on surfaces near the ion generator. That isn't necessarily a good thing. Proper HEPA filters are more likely to be what you want, as they remove particles entirely, putting them in a filter that can be disposed of.
deegles 6y ago
That's a really good video, although it seems to focus on the health benefits of direct ion exposure. I like how he methodically breaks down the claims and the purported science behind them. I would like to know more about the claimed Covid-related ion effects.

anessaiver 6y ago

Ionizers work through two mechanisms: 1. Charged particles stick together, forming larger clumps that eventually drop out of the air. 2. Charged particles can build up on the surface of airborne pathogens, sometimes directly disrupting membranes or lipid layers, and if there is enough of a buildup they can induce an electric current through the organism that can kill / inactivate it. One study on bipolar ionization showed antiviral efficiencies were 64.3, 89.1, and 97.4% with exposure times of 15, 30, and 45 min, respectively (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094352/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094352/). The advantage to ion generation based air purification systems is that they are able to actively operate in occupied spaces, not relying on air to get pumped out of a return duct and through a filter or UV system. It's not possible for them to achieve an instantaneous elimination of airborne pathogens, but any significant percentage reduction can help to lower the total viral load that people in the room are being exposed to. That being said, it's unlikely that what he's wearing around his neck will generate a sufficient quantity of ions to make much of a difference. It wouldn't be enough to fill the room, and the amount of time any such ions would have to act on a particle that comes close to him really isn't enough to have a large impact.