Odours and allergens
Thanks to a revolutionary purification system, the Ikibox purifiers are able to purify the indoor air to 99.9999% in only 10 minutes. Our units are particularly effective against bad odours and allergens.
The smells
An odour is a chemical molecule (or chemical mixture) in gaseous form emitted by nature, micro-organisms or product formulations.
We perceive them via the synapses in our nose that transmit a message to our brain to tell us their main characteristics. The definition of an odour is very subjective and remains very variable according to individuals: we are more or less sensitive to odours and it depends on our environment and our lifestyle.
In our modern societies, we are conditioned by olfactory cues from the chemical industry. Most of them are harmful to our health, but we consider them beneficial because they “smell good“.
The odours are linked to the chemical functional groups present: ketoenolic, aromatic groups, mercaptans, presence of sulphur or other atoms…
Allergens
An allergen is a substance, with an organic body (atom, molecule, protein) or not, capable of causing an allergic reaction in a subject. It is often transported or present on a particle: dust, spores or pollen. Allergies are triggered by skin contact, ingestion or inhalation of the allergenic compound.
Example:
By abuse of language, some people say they are allergic to cat hair. In reality, they are allergic to the glycoproteins Fel d 1 and Fel d 4. Depending on temperature and pressure, the molecule will migrate into the air. It is the air we breathe that will put us in contact with the allergen.
Actually, this allergen is a chemical molecule that the cat needs to clean itself. This protein is emitted naturally, like the one contained in pollens, dust mites, spores… But the modern petrochemical world has generated chemical pollutants, not natural ones, which make us sensitive and therefore allergic to naturally occurring compounds. This applies to most airborne allergies.
