Question from Emily
Hi Debra,
The office I work in is a very old building (one of the oldest in the city, if I remember correctly), so the ventilation leaves much to be desired. On top of this, the building next to it was recently demolished, sending particles into the air (and nearby buildings) that the newspapers say may take several months to dissipate completely. They also replaced the carpeting on the entire floor just prior to this, although I did not notice any odor from it, which is unusual for me. Since my company has moved into this building several months ago, I (and other department co-workers) have noticed that I have been sneezing more often, and my nose is almost constantly stuffy.
I was wondering if I had any options for improving the air quality? I am planning on getting a few plants for my desk once the local gardening centers open for spring. The large room where my cubicle sits receives zero sunlight, but my horticulturalist friend picked out a few plants on the houseplant list from NASA you linked a while ago that are supposed to do well in all-fluorescent lighting (the peace lily was one of them).
Are there any other options? I did do a search on Amazon for desk-sized air purifiers, but I don’t even know what to look for in those. Thank you!
Debra’s Answer
This is an easy answer.
Get this desktop air filter from EL Foust: 160DT Desktop Air Purifier.
Many years ago I had this very air filter when I worked in an office building. I just put it on my desk and pointed it so the clean air would blow right in my direction. I noticed often people would come talk to me during breaks so they could stand next to my air filter.
