Burtran’s mesh metal box may look plain and industrial, but it offers something extra in the world of air purifiers: negative oxygen ion technology. The company’s claim is that its purifier's release of high-density (2,000–5,000 ions per cubic centimeter) negative oxygen ions delivers a “refreshing, forestlike atmosphere,” which will boost energy, reduce stress, and improve sleep—all without ozone, radiation, or static. It also uses a HEPA 14, a denser filter than the more ubiquitous HEPA 13s that most air purifiers use.
I’ve tested air purifiers for years, and I usually stay away from purifiers that serve up ion technology. As the EPA explains, “Ozone, a lung irritant, is produced indirectly by ion generators and some other electronic air cleaners and directly by ozone generators.” The California Air Resources Board has a list of those air purifiers that do more harm than good.
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
The Burtran has been tested and is not on that list. In fact, it is listed as a CARB-Certified Air Cleaning Device. In other words, the Burtran has not been proven to create ozone, so I had to wonder, would this proprietary technology actually improve my sleep?
Breathe Safe
The second issue with negative oxygen ion technology—even bigger than ozone—is the possible release of radiation. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has studied negative-ion-producing consumer products, some of which contain radioactive materials.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has explicit warnings about the risk of negative ion technology, stating, “Negative ion technology can involve the use of minerals that contain a naturally occurring source of radiation, such as thorium or uranium.”
Burtran boasts at the top of its landing page that the Nano-Oxy doesn’t create radiation, but the mere appearance of the word “radiation” had me reaching out to Seattle-based GQ Electronics to let me demo its popular and user-friendly Geiger counter, the GQ GMC-800 ($84).