All of these tiny particles move around indoors by floating through the air until they finally settle on a convenient surface in our home. By adding an air purifier to a room, many of these particles will be trapped before they have time to settle, not only making the air more pleasant to breathe but reducing the accumulation of dust on our tabletops, books, and shelves.
The most important tool for filtering out dust is a true HEPA filter. HEPA filters were designed in the 1940s to protect scientists working on the Manhattan Project from tiny radioactive particles, and due to their efficiency at removing particles from the air they gradually became used commercially in filters and vacuums. A true HEPA filter is rated to capture particles at 0.3 microns in size with 99.97% efficiency, although it can capture both much larger and smaller particles as well. The 0.3 micron size was chosen because it is both the hardest size to trap and the size most easily drawn into lungs.