A HEPA filter is a very fine filter that is designed to take particles out of the air as small as 0.3 microns in size.
The government defines that HEPA air purifiers or filters must remove 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns or larger in size. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particle Accumulator.
These filters can remove extremely fine particles of dust. For example 1400 0.3 micron particles can fit on a period.
There are even more efficient HEPA filters that can trap particles down to a minute size of 0.01 microns. You could fit 42,000 particles this size on a printed period.
These incredibly efficient filters are known as Hyper-HEPA filters. If one million particles move through a HEPA filter some 30,000 particles will emerge after filtration. With Hyper-HEPA filtration out of those million particles, less than 300 will make it through.
There are many filters on the market that claim to be HEPA or HEPA-like but are not in fact true HEPA filters. These filters do not meet the standards as prescribed by the government and do not capture the same amount of particles as true HEPA's do. Their efficiency is often only 85 to 90% of a true HEPA.
To be sure your filter is a true HEPA look for a seal on the side of the filter that includes a serial number and the testing results. Again, those results should be a 99.97% particle reduction at 0.3 microns in size.
These true HEPA's are a bit more expensive than no HEPA's, but if you are serious about the quality of the air in your home and the quality of the air that passes through your lungs the expense is well worth it.
The IQAir HealthPro is a true Hyper-HEPA filter.
