Do Air Purifiers In Classrooms Work? Here's What A New Study By Massachusetts Researchers Found.

CBS Boston

October 15, 2025

A new study finds that simply having an air filter in the classroom may not be enough to keep students safe from respiratory illnesses.

Mass General Brigham researchers analyzed data taken from 200 classrooms, some of which had portable HEPA purifiers while others had "sham" purifiers that didn't contain a filter. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air.

"HEPA filters are designed to reduce fine and particulate matter from the air, but there is limited real-world data on their effectiveness at filtering respiratory viruses transmitted via aerosols and droplets," the researchers said in a statement.

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