Air Purifiers Making Covid-19 Claims Face Legal, Financial Risks

Makers of air purifiers and other home health devices will face stiff financial penalties from the EPA if they make inflated or misleading marketing claims that their products can fend off the coronavirus, attorneys say.

In recent weeks, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced a number of enforcement actions targeting both companies and individuals accused of selling illegal products claiming to protect against viruses, including Covid-19.

Antimicrobial devices such air purifiers, ozone generators and UV irradiation units aren’t required to go through the same EPA registration process as conventional pesticides. But they’re still bound by the same rules governing false ...