When folks consider air purifiers, their first thought typically has to do with allergies, and many of those are difficult to manage. But for someone with multiple chemical sensitivities, the task of cleaning the air they breathe is a great deal more complicated even than that.

Multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS, develops when a person has had either a severe and somewhat unexpected exposure to toxic chemicals, or else prolonged contact with something less extreme. So a big chemical spill from a nearby train derailment may be an initial cause, while the disorder could also result from something like continued work with strong cleaning supplies.

Once this sensitivity has been set off, it spreads to include other irritants also. So the individual could then become sensitive to things like paint fumes, the smells from new furniture and off-gassing from carpets. The sensitivity then begins to manifest itself in such symptoms as loss of memory or concentration, aching limbs, and irritation of the skin, eyes, and respiratory system, among others. For some reason yet undiscovered, this kind of condition affects more women than men, though it can transpire for both.

The thing to remember when hunting for an air purifier to help with MCS is that it must filter out more than micro-organisms like viruses or bacteria. So purifiers like those with a HEPA filter, while they are apt to be most effective for allergy-based concerns, would not be as helpful for chemical sensitivities.

One effective system for getting rid of chemicals is an activated carbon filter. This works at the molecular level, to alter gaseous chemical molecules into a solid form, and then trap them in the carbon. But as the Allergy Consumer Review website points out, specific forms of carbon filters are more effective than others. The site recommends that buyers avoid purifiers that use carbon pads, or other low carbon filters. The Allergy Consumer Review also points out that coconut-based carbon filters may set off other allergies, and must also be avoided when possible.

Even a granular carbon filter cannot contend with every chemical; for instance, it doesn’t work with formaldehyde or hydrogen sulfide. So most effectively purifiers bring together activated carbon with a chemically active compound of aluminum oxide.

The next concern encountered by MCS sufferers is that the very chemicals they are so sensitive to are often what goes into production of the air purifiers themselves. Even the fan motors must be varnish free. And in the path the air takes as it goes through the purifier, it needs to pass the fan before it passes through the gas filter, instead of the other way around. If the fan is located first, then the filter can still eliminate the chemicals that it and the motor create.

It’s extremely hard for somebody with MCS to find an air purifier that doesn’t contain or produce the very chemicals it is supposed to help with. However the Allergy Consumer Review site does suggest the IQAir GC Series of purifiers as the best available alternative.

There are different technologies in air purifiers, from the HEPA filter to the personal air purifier. Find out how to get the the best model for your circumstances at Home Air Purifiers: The Facts.