No. They do not remove carbon dioxide (CO2). Almost all air purifiers are designed to capture some combination of particles and toxic gasses, but CO2 can't be captured by the same filters that capture other gaseous air pollution. Only ventilation removes CO2.
Air Purifiers Don't Remove CO2
Unfortunately common air filters do not remove CO2 from the air. Most air purifiers use HEPA filters and activated carbon filters. HEPA filters remove particles. Activated carbon filters remove some gas pollutants.
There are no CO2 filter mechanisms to remove CO2. Ventilation (replacing indoor air with outdoor air) is the only way to keep CO2 at acceptable levels.
Direct air capture systems have been heralded as a way to combat climate change by pulling carbon dioxide out of the air to either store permanently underground or convert into a useful product.
What are the downsides of air purifiers? There aren't a lot of downsides to having an air purifier in your home aside from the financial investment. Many ionizers, especially older models, can generate ozone when they are operating, which is known to exacerbate asthma.
Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners
One mechanism of damage results from ozone-olefin reactions, and another from ozone reacting with electron donors (such as glutathione). Inhalation of relatively small amounts of ozone can cause coughing, chest pain, throat irritation, and shortness of breath.
As you can see, the drawbacks of leaving your air purifier on all the time are minimal. It's perfectly safe to keep the device running continuously, and the amount of energy it consumes is very small.
Natural processes, such as photosynthesis by plants, absorption by the oceans, and geological processes, naturally remove CO2. Artificial techniques include carbon capture and storage (CCS), afforestation and reforestation, direct air capture (DAC), ocean fertilization, and soil carbon sequestration.
Solvent-based direct air capture systems pass air through chemicals that remove the CO2. Existing systems use a combination of heat and vacuum to remove the captured CO2 and return the chemicals to the direct air capture process. The system then returns the treated air—now with less CO2—to the atmosphere.
The IEA estimates that the operational costs of direct air capture should get to between $230 and $630 per metric ton of CO2 once scaled up, depending in large part on energy costs, says Mathilde Fajardy, an IEA analyst.
These may include headaches, dizziness, restlessness, a tingling or pins or needles feeling, difficulty breathing, sweating, tiredness, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, coma, asphyxia, and convulsions.
Direct air capture stations use large, powerful fans to draw in existing carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Once inside a capture station, the air undergoes a series of chemical reactions that cause CO2 to separate from the rest of the air.
Another situation you may want to open windows is when you have a high occupancy indoors and CO2 levels are high. For example in a school or in an office. Opening a window can help reduce indoor CO2 levels, which has some positive benefits.
The reality is, air purifiers offer an effective option for helping remove particles from the air that circulates in your home. How effective depends on a number of factors, starting with the quality of the air purifier. A high-quality whole-home air purifier filters the air for your entire home.
The ZPure CO2 Filter removes carbon dioxide from inert gases, He, Ar, N2, H2, and clean dry air (CDA) to low ppb levels. The filter functions by consuming carbon dioxide in a reaction with highly-dispersed NaOH on a silicate support. The reaction produces water which remains adsorbed in the purifier.
Direct air capture (DAC) technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere at any location, unlike carbon capture which is generally carried out at the point of emissions, such as a steel plant. The CO2 can be permanently stored in deep geological formations or used for a variety of applications.
At the same time, carbon dioxide, a waste gas, moves from your blood to the lungs and is exhaled (breathed out). This process, called gas exchange, is essential to life. The lungs are the centerpiece of your respiratory system.
The split air conditioner does not filter the carbon dioxide (CO2) and at the same time, the air conditioner recirculates the filtered air within the room itself when the rooms are closed. At nights the doors and windows are closed over 6 to 8 hours hence CO2 levels tend to increase.
Sources of CO2 in indoor air
Carbon dioxide is a pollutant found in indoor and outdoor air. Indoors, CO2 is mainly produced through the respiration (breathing) of occupants, but can also come from: cigarette smoking. unvented or poorly vented fuel-burning appliances.
Carbon removal is increasingly viewed as a key step on the road to achieving net zero by 2050. Using trees, soil, farming techniques, the ocean and direct air capture can all reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and help achieve climate goals.
A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases – for example, plants, the ocean and soil. In contrast, a carbon source is anything that releases more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs – for example, the burning of fossil fuels or volcanic eruptions.
Regardless of where you live, the good news is, air purifiers do not use a lot of electricity to operate.
Many people think that switching it off during the night or when they're not present is a logical energy-saving measure, but it is recommended to keep it running constantly. Once you turn off your air purifier, the air quickly becomes contaminated again with mold, dust, dander, and other pollutants present in the air.
Keep your device away from moisture or areas with high humidity. Place your device at least 6 inches from walls, furniture, or other items while in use. Place your air purifier near the most likely source of indoor air pollution. Consider investing in an air purifier that shuts off automatically with a timer.