Do claims that Himalayan Salt Lamps produce negative ions when lit with an incandescent bulb have any science to back it up?
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Dr. Mercola sells them so the claim seems notable enough to me (and a good target for skepticism). My very quick research on this indicates that they *do* produce negative ions by means of the salt attracting water and then the lamp evaporating it however the *quantity* of negative ions is near negligible. – Ladadadada Jan 31 '14 at 12:11
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1Related: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/9946/do-himalayan-salt-lamps-remove-airborne-contaminates http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/7490/can-a-himalayan-crystal-salt-cave-reduce-stress?rq=1 – Sklivvz Jan 31 '14 at 14:47
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do "negative ions" have a positive (or any) effect? – warren Jan 31 '14 at 19:32
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How would you produce a negative ion without producing a positive ion? Hence, how does one test whether any effect would be due to the negative ions alone? – nico Feb 02 '14 at 14:14
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Without knowing the precise mixture of salts and their interaction with the radiant energy of lamp, it's difficult to predict if any negative ions are produced, and positive ions swallowed up by some concomitant reaction. The field is rife with pseudo-science and lack of peer-reviewed studies that support their benefit anyhow. – Jiminy Cricket. Feb 26 '14 at 02:20
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@warren [perhaps a little](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/19207/are-positive-ions-bad-for-you) – Housemeister Jan 05 '16 at 16:50