Originally published August 22 2005
In-flight air filters may not save you from contaminated air
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
AirRight filters remove 99.5 percent of allergens and viruses from the air-conditioned air you breathe during air travel, but may not protect you from a fellow traveler's cold.
Travelers who cringe every time someone coughs or sneezes during a flight can now tote their own filtering devices.
The AirRight filter, which debuted in July, attaches to the air nozzle above your seat.
Cirrus Healthcare Products, which makes the filter, says it creates an invisible air curtain that removes 99.5 percent of unwanted viruses and allergens.
But is the air inside the plane really the culprit when travelers come home sick after a trip?
Not likely, according to study published earlier this year in the medical journal The Lancet, which found that in-air food poisoning was more common.
Beth Harbin, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines Co., said that in 2002, the Dallas-based carrier was one of the first to add high-efficiency particulate air filters, or HEPAs, onboard its airplanes.
Since then, the filter systems have "become an industry standard."
An airplane's close quarters play a bigger role when someone gets sick, she said.
"Anytime you are in close proximity to someone who is sick, you could be vulnerable," Ms.
"An air filter isn't going to change that."
Travelers looking for extra peace of mind can find AirRight at airports around the country and at travel-related stores.
One disposable filter costs between $7 and $9 and lasts for four flights.
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