If you’re considering purchasing an air purifier to combat your book dust problem, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure maximum success. If you haven’t considered the idea of an air purifier yet, then it’s important for you to appreciate the real problems associated with dusty books, as they extend far beyond simply being an unsightly nuisance.
The dust itself is very harmful, comprising a wide range of toxins, pathogens, debris and decaying organic matter, and inhaling it is just as dangerous as smoking tobacco. It has long been known that prolonged exposure to dust will result in a wide range of respiratory illnesses and can be a leading cause of premature death, but dusty books have recently been identified as one of the worst forms of dust exposure. dust.
The problem is that books attract dust. This is a fact and is caused as a result of the polarization of the dust in the air and the paper from which the books are made. Since they share the same polarization, the two are attracted to each other in the same way that dust is attracted to a television screen and clings incessantly.
However, when a book is opened, a draft is created and a cloud of dust is blown directly into the reader’s face. As each page is turned, more dust is thrown in their faces, much of it inhaled. This is bad news for librarians, as well as for those who spend a lot of time with books.
While it’s important to be aware of the very serious health risks associated with book dust, it’s not the only issue you should be aware of. Book dust will become a home for dust mites and book lice, which will encourage a rapid decline in the quality of books. Book lice in particular will eat the glue used in the binding process, causing the books to fall apart.
The use of HEPA air will help solve the problem quickly if used as part of an overall action plan. The following three methods should be used to help combat book dust and remove as much of it as possible from your library or shelves.
1. Book jackets — Using an air purifier to remove dust from the air is certainly a valuable and useful way to combat the problem, but part of the problem lies in the fact that dust doesn’t stay in the air very long. The reason for this is the fact that dust is attracted to paper and books almost like a magnet. This is because, as with magnets, like attracts, and both dust and paper share the same polarization.
One way to combat this is to have the books covered with a material that has a different polarization and therefore does not attract dust. This will leave more dust in the air for the air purifier to pick up. Part of the solution is to cover books with plastic sleeves, since plastic doesn’t attract dust in the same way that paper does.
2. Dust removal — It will be important to remove existing dust. This can easily be accomplished by wearing soft gloves or a vacuum with a brush attachment. Be sure to wear a face mask while doing this, and have your air purifier working nearby to collect and trap any dust that will be stirred into the air.
3. Air purification — Clearly, one of the most fundamental ways to help prevent dust from settling on books is to reduce the amount of dust in the air. Dust particles can actually be extremely small, only a few microns in diameter. This requires a filtration technique that is capable of trapping even the smallest dust particles, so that it prevents it from escaping again.
A high-efficiency, or HEPA, particle-arresting air purifier will be able to trap almost all the dust that floats in the air. Over time, this will help prevent dust from settling on your books, keeping them clean and safe, as well as improving overall air quality.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that as well as helping to combat the problem of book dust, an air purifier will also help protect against a host of other airborne problems. These include fungal spores and even bacteria and viruses. Fungal spores are nasty and are likely to worsen asthma symptoms, trigger allergies, and cause mold and mildew damage to books. An effective air purifier will essentially remove book dust and its threats to books, paper and health.