The DeKalb County Health Department wants to help area residents breathe easier this winter.

Karen Grush, a DeKalb County public health administrator, recommends residents use humidifiers in their homes to circulate moisture during the dry winter season. The humidity they provide helps keep the skin and respiratory systems from drying out, but has little medical health benefits.

“The basic reason is for physical comfort,” Grush said.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there are four basic types of humidifiers. Ultrasonic humidifiers disperse a cool mist into the air through ultrasonic sound vibrations. The impeller models use a rotating disk to send the mist into the air. Evaporative and steam vaporizer humidifiers are types that contain standing water. The evaporative models use a fan to blow air through a filter moistened by the standing water. Steam vaporizers have an electrical heating element that creates steam to introduce humidity into the air.

Steam vaporizers, since they contain a heating element, are not allowed in the residence halls or in apartments throughout the city.

Douglas C/D Hall Director Heather Wunsch said that all appliances with an outside heating element, like a George Foreman grill or a coffee pot, are not allowed in residence halls.

“A small humidifier should be OK,” Wunsch said, but recommends getting specific humidifiers approved before bringing them onto campus.

Both Lincolnshire West Apartments and Pittsley Realty, local rental agencies, agree that humidifiers are permitted in their apartments. Pittsley Realty policy states that humidifiers are allowed, but any damage a humidifier may cause, as with all appliances, is the tenant’s responsibility.

Humidifiers, when kept properly, provide relief from parched throats, mouths and nasal passages, as well as helping keep skin from drying out and lips from chapping. In order to prevent condensation that provides a home for bacteria and fungi, humidity levels should remain between 30 to 50 percent. Levels over 60 percent release too much moisture into the air.

Not maintaining the humidifier can also cause problems. The EPA recommends changing the water in a humidifier daily and to use distilled or de-mineralized water, since minerals found in tap water lead to scale buildup and possibly the release of dust particles into the air. Users should follow all manufacturers’ directions and be sure to clean the humidifier well and often to ensure optimum performance.

Choosing a humidifier that suits your needs is important, since each humidifier is different. The EPA and health department caution that those with lung diseases or allergies, young children and the elderly should investigate carefully which unit is best for them, since these groups tend to be more likely to react badly to any air pollutants a humidifier may disperse.

For more information, visit the EPA online at www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/humidif.html or call (800) 438-4318.