Ads for air cleaners from Sharper Image and Oreck include a Seal of Truth from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American (AAFA). Sharper Image ads also display a Seal of Approval from the British Allergy Foundation, now known as Allergy UK.

What the seals don't tell you.

The AAFA's Seal of Truth program is open to manufacturers who submit a $5,000 application fee. According to the AAFA, companies are asked to submit "independent" research for review by a panel of experts, who determine whether a product's performance meets its claims. If a panel says it does, manufacturers can apply the seal to that product for two years.

The AAFA states on its Web site that its expert panel includes M.D.'s, Ph.D.'s, and Masters of Public Health. Michael Tringale, an AAFA spokesman, would not identify its experts, citing confidentiality concerns. Nor would Tringale or Sharper Image show us research submitted as part of the seal program. But the AAFA's literature disclosed two points that the air cleaner ads don't mention. One is that its seal is not an endorsement or statement of clinical efficacy. Yet the words on the seal for Sharper Image's Ionic Breeze imply otherwise.

Allergy UK's Seal of Approval program is somewhat like the AAFA's, though it says its seal is an endorsement. A manufacturer submits a fee for new testing by an "independent scientific consultant" at the University College Worcester or a review of its own independent tests. According to the British group, a 39 member panel of experts sets specific protocols for each product. Allergy UK would not disclose detailed information about its review protocol. What's more, the foundation states on his Web site that its endorsement does not mean that a product will necessarily reduce an allergy sufferer's symptoms.

What the studies don't say.

Studies touted in Sharper Image ads came under scrutiny last year in Sharper Image's lawsuit against Consumers Union. Court testimony and documents revealed information absent from the ads. For one, documents showed that a researcher had been receiving a $6,000 monthly retainer from Sharper Image for research used by the company to support the sale of its Ionic Breeze. The company also provided research grants to a university professor and author of two reports about the Ionic Breeze prepared at Sharper Image's request, and compensated others whose research was cited.

In November 2004, Federal Judge Maxine Chesney dismissed Sharper Image's suit, holding that there was no reasonable probability that Consumers Unions' findings were false and that Sharper Image's studies provided no basis for challenging those findings.

After months of testing and investigation by Consumer Reports researchers, the following findings were noted:

• Many ionizing air cleaners did a poor job of removing particles from the air.
• Two separate tests in a sealed room and in an open lab show that some can create significant levels of ozone.
• Ozone is a growing concern. People with asthma and respiratory allergies are especially sensitive to it.
• Some ads include endorsements that mean little.
• Consider low or no cost air cleaning alternative.

The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Lung Association (ALA) recommend the following tips for improving indoor air environments:

• Reduce indoor pollutants. Ban indoor smoking. Minimize candles, incense, and woodburning fires, and use unscented cleaners. Wash linens in hot water. Keep dust sensitive people out of the area when vacuuming. Also be sure to keep solvents and pesticides outdoors.
• Keep your home ventilated. Use outdoor venting exhaust fans in kitchen, bath, and laundry areas to reduce moisture and airborne particles that can breed respiratory irritants. Maintain heating and cooling equipment, chimneys, and vents to minimize the presence of carbon monoxide in your living space.
• If you buy an air cleaner, choose one that works. Michigan Allergy, Sinus and Asthma Specialists recommends HEPA air cleaners (see our handout entitled Choosing an Air Cleaner).

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Michigan Allergy, Sinus & Asthma Specialists

6330 Orchard Lake Road #110 West Bloomfield, MI 48322 Tel: 248.932.0082 Fax: 248.932.0182 view map

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Web: www.michiganallergy.com
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Email: miallergy@comcast.net

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