HEPA vs Activated Carbon: Match Particle Filtration and Gas Adsorption to the Actual Pollutant
HEPA and activated carbon solve different air-cleaning problems. HEPA media captures airborne particles such as pollen, dust, smoke particles, and mold spores, while activated carbon adsorbs certain gases and odor molecules onto its surface. Neither mechanism should be judged from a filter percentage alone because whole-device airflow, seals, media quantity, target pollutant, and replacement condition