In short: we do not recommend using lungs to filter out the air! First of all, human lungs filter very little air when compared to air purifiers, and furthermore it is harmful to human health.
When a person breathes in and out, their airways are filtering out the tiny particles in the air. Some of these particles also get stuck in the lungs and pass through into the blood system.
How much air do the lungs filter, and can humans be used as air purifiers?
There is little research on how much PM2.5 is filtered out by the airways and lungs in a single breath, but we can still work out an approximate CADR (clean air delivery rate) that would be equivalent to an air purifier for filtering out PM2.5.
Data from the Canadian Lung Association states that an average person breathes in about 360L per hour. If we assumed that for each breathe a person takes, 100% of the PM2.5 is filtered (it is likely much less, but there is no data on this), then we can say that the human lungs are able to produce 360L or 0.36m³ of clean air per hour.
You’d need 1400 people – or sets of lungs – in one room to replace a single SA600 air purifier.
An average air purifier, such as the SA600 from Smart Air has a CADR of 500m³/hr, or a CADR that’s almost 1400 higher than the human lungs. To replace a single SA600 purifier in a room, you’d need to cram in 1400 people into that room. Not realistic, and not something we’d recommend doing.
Learn more: What is PM2.5 and how does it affect the body and lungs »
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