Korea Consumer Agency officials examine compatible air purifier filter products. [Yonhap]
Korea Consumer Agency officials examine compatible air purifier filter products. [Yonhap]

A new investigation has found that many compatible air purifier filters — cheaper alternatives to manufacturer originals — fail to meet standards for removing harmful gases, with some products also containing banned hazardous substances.

The Korea Consumer Agency said Tuesday it tested 20 compatible air purifier filters sold on the market for quality and safety, finding significant variation among products in both harmful gas removal efficiency and fine dust removal performance.

Compatible filters are similar in shape and function to original manufacturer filters but are priced at 30 to 56 percent of the originals. When the agency installed the compatible filters in the latest models from LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Winix and Xiaomi and ran tests, only 4 of the 20 products met the relevant standard for harmful gas removal efficiency.

Under the Korea Air Cleaning Association's industry standard, each of five harmful gases — formaldehyde, ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetic acid and toluene — must be removed at a rate of at least 40 percent individually, with an average removal rate of 70 percent or higher. The remaining 16 products had average removal efficiency of between 20 and 63 percent. Original manufacturer filters recorded average removal efficiency of 81 to 100 percent.

The four products that met the harmful gas removal standard were Daemyung Tech's "Daemyung Filter," Majungmul's "Major Filter," Bareun Filter's "Bareun Filter" and WithYou's "Best Filter."

Fine dust removal performance also varied widely. Eight of the tested products recorded 90 percent or more of the performance level indicated on the air purifier, meeting the standard. The remaining 12 products reached only 68 to 89 percent of their stated values.

Tests also detected methylisothiazolinone (MIT) — a substance whose inclusion is prohibited — in the deodorizing filters of two compatible products designed for Xiaomi air purifiers. MIT is used in antibacterial and preservative treatments and can cause harm when inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

The two products were Itech's "TSI Grey Premium" and Sejin Aqua's "Sejin Grey Filter," both manufactured in China, with sales of 433 and 192 units respectively. The agency recommended that both companies halt sales, recall previously sold products and offer free replacements or refunds. Both companies accepted the recommendations.

The agency also recommended quality improvements to the 16 companies whose products showed inadequate harmful gas and fine dust removal performance. Of those, 13 said they plan to pursue measures such as changing materials and improving production processes.


andy@heraldcorp.com