Japan Offspring Fund(JOF) is a consumer group and environmental NGO established in 1984. We have researched issues involving the safety of daily life, including chemical residues, endocrine disruptors, and genetically engineered food.

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Testing Vacuum Cleaners
Vacuum Cleaners Can Make You Sick
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Dangerous dust is emitted in large quantities

Japan Offspring Fund tested several types of vacuum cleaners, using a fine powder (flour) of normal quality. Dust particles are measured in microns or micrometers. 1 micron is a unit of length equal to one millionth (10-6) of a meter.

For example, we found approximately 100,000 dust particles of 0.3 microns in the exhaust emerging from the vacuum cleaner while sucking up one large spoon of powder. We continued the testing, sucking up a total of 1 liter of powder. At that point the air emerging from the vacuum cleaner contained over 2,070,000 dust particles. (Type: Sharp EC-AC1)

サイクロン掃除機の排気は汚い

(Picture:) The meter detects a large amount of dust particles of 0.3 microns

Room Air Should Be Clean: The Vacuum Cleaner Which Does Not Emit Dust

European consumer product test magazines have done similar tests on vacuum cleaners. The Electrolux Oxygen vacuum cleaner, which has acquired the number one ranking in six countries, has consistently performed very well. In our test, it sucked up dust and powder particles of 0.3 microns or more, and the numerical value measured of the air that exited the machine was 0 (zero). Our conclusion: unless a vacuum cleaner for home use is made like this model, it is just not good enough.

ほこりゼロ

(Picture:) The meter shows the exhaust emitted from Electrolux Oxygen contains zero dust

No value for money!

Consumers expect vacuum cleaners to pick up dust safely and securely. It is assumed that a vacuum cleaner should not make the air of the room dirty. However, the Japanese machines do not really successfully suck up all the dust. Instead, in the interior of a room, dangerous dust is spreading and scattering.

Japanese consumers are using vacuum cleaners which have been disqualified as "No value for money!" by European test magazines. Some people have experienced that using such inferior machines can cause health problems. For example, the exhaust air emerging from the so-called cyclone type is especially dirty. Japan Offspring Fund are continuing to test and reveal which vacuum cleaners can cause health problems.


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