As acrid wildfire smoke from Quebec and northeastern Ontario drifted to the GTA earlier last week, Kristin Iorio, who lives with asthma, could feel her chest constrict and her breathing become heavier.
So, she decided to build an air purifier herself in order to clean the air in her home in Ajax, Ont. Using nothing more than two air filters, a portable fan, some duct tape and cardboard, Iorio was able to assemble a makeshift purifier in less than 30 minutes.
After turning it on, the impact was noticeable.
“I can just say anecdotally, I coughed and wheezed less,” said Iorio. “It’s certainly worth the effort to build it.”
Kristin, who is also a PhD student supervised by Professor Greg Evans studying air quality, said these homemade purifiers are a simple and effective tool to improve air quality and remove pollutants. Read the full Toronto Star story, which features her DIY purifier.