How Does the NovusAer Whole-Home Air Filter Compare to Bipolar Ionization Systems?

By Dan Dearden, CAFS, Founder, Essential Air Products

Homeowners today have more choices than ever when it comes to improving indoor air quality. Two popular categories are:

1. Advanced whole-home air filters (like the NovusAer)

2. Bipolar ionization devices (such as the iWave by NuShield, Purifi by PurifiLabs, or the DM-2 by GPS)

Both claim to “purify” the air—but they do it in very different ways. And those differences matter.

Below is a homeowner-friendly breakdown to help you understand how each method works, where each shines, and what you should consider before choosing an air-purifying solution.

Filtration vs. Ionization: What’s the Difference?

NovusAer – Purifies the air through filtration

The NovusAer system uses physical filtration—capturing harmful airborne particles and removing them from your home’s air.

If you want to understand the difference between purification, filtration, and ventilation, check out my article on that topic.

Bipolar Ionizers – Purify with electrically charged ions

Devices like the iWave, Purifi, and GPS DM-2 release positive and negative ions into your air. These ions:

• Break down certain VOC chemicals in the air

• Interact with viruses, bacteria, and mold

• Help increase the efficiency of air filters through the process of agglomeration. The positive and negative ions attach to the nanoparticles in the air that are 1 micron and smaller (≤ PM 1.0). These positively and negatively charged particles now attach to each other, or agglomerate, to create a larger group of particles that are more easily caught in an air filter. 

Agglomeration can increase filtration performance by about 5–8%.

A Key Issue: Ion Life Span in Real Homes

Ions are highly reactive, which is why they can neutralize pathogens—but it’s also why they usually disappear within nanoseconds.

Most bipolar ionizers are installed at the furnace or air handler. At typical air speeds (around 700 feet per minute), it takes about 3 seconds for air to reach your living space. By then, most ions have already reacted with something inside the HVAC system and are “used up.”

PurifiLabs has shown longer-lasting ions in their own lab setup, proving ions can reach a simulated living space under controlled conditions. But real homes are far more complex than sealed test chambers.

What About the Good Bacteria?

Bipolar ionization is non-selective. It affects all bacteria—not just the bad ones.

Humans depend on beneficial bacteria inside and on our bodies. While ionization doesn’t harm people directly, the idea of wiping out all bacteria in your home is something homeowners should consider carefully.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here’s a quick comparison to help you see the differences at a glance:

Digging Deeper: What These Differences Mean for Your Home

1. Ozone Production

Both technologies can be ozone-free—but some ionizers on the market do produce ozone. The NovusAer filter does not.

2. Real-World Testing

The NovusAer was tested with laser particle counters in homes for 5 years before being tested in an ASHRAE-certified testing laboratory.

No Bipolar Ionizers have ever been tested and proven to be effective in any homes. Just like testing products on mice is not the same as testing products on humans, testing products in test laboratories is not the same as testing products in real, not simulated, homes. 

A sealed test chamber is not the same as a real house, which has:

• Open spaces

• Doors and windows

• Sunlight

• Air leaks

• People going in and out

• Ventilation air mixing

3. VOC Reduction

The NovusAer filtration system cannot remove gaseous chemicals. Ionizers can break down certain VOCs—but this has only been proven in laboratory test chambers.

4. Byproducts

NovusAer air filtration creates no harmful byproducts. Multiple studies show that ionizers can create ethanol, acetone, and toluene—VOC chemicals you do not want more of in your home.

5. Pathogens

• The NovusAer filter captures bacteria at nearly 100% and viruses at 80–90%.

• Bipolar Ionizers have been proven to increase the natural decay of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens by about 10% to 20% more than their normal decay rate in laboratory test chambers. Bipolar Ionizers do not directly remove anything from the air.

6. Odors

Bipolar ionizers may reduce odors; results vary widely. The NovusAer does not target odors because it does not use activated carbon.

7. CO, CO2, NO2, and Radon

Neither the NovusAer or Bipolar Ionizers remove or reduce carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or radon gas from the air.

8. Mold

Both technologies help—just in different ways:

• NovusAer: captures mold spores from the air

• Ionizers: reduce mold growth in sealed labs

8. Homeowner Testing

You can test the NovusAer’s, or any air filter's performance yourself with a $39 laser particle counter purchased on Amazon. There is no simple way for a homeowner to verify whether ions are reaching the living space or working as promised.

Final Thoughts

Both technologies have their place, but they behave very differently in real homes. Filtration is predictable, proven, and easily verifiable. Bipolar ionization is somewhat effective in controlled laboratory settings, but real-world performance in homes remains unproven.

If you have more questions about air quality technology, send them to info@essentialairproducts.com. We’ll respond individually—or, if your question may help others, we’ll feature it on our “You Ask, We Answer” page.

Breathe well, Dan