International. New cleaning procedures and hygiene supplies are essential to protect against infection from direct contact with surfaces. Because the virus is also transmitted through airborne droplets, it is also critical to ensure better indoor air quality (IAQ) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
American consultant Jim Newman shared some techniques for reducing bacteria, viruses and other pollutants in the air. For this, he looked for various air filtration and disinfection systems. The most commonly used include HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) media filtration, UV purification (ultraviolet light) and bipolar ionization.
These popular systems have some features in common, but in practice they are very different:
- HEPA filtration and bipolar ionization have been shown to reduce particle levels. Neither uses harmful chemicals or creates a byproduct, so it's definitely a plus. Adding additional filters, as required with HEPA systems, can reduce airflow due to increased resistance in the system. This can cause HVAC systems to work harder to maintain the same airflow as before and therefore consume more energy and cost more money.
- Bipolar ionization and ultraviolet light are easily installed without having to redesign the system, and both treat contaminants. However, UV light is only effective if pollutants pass close enough to the light field for a sufficient period of time and needs to be the right kind of UV light, i.e. UV-C. The amount of time spent near light is very important for the effectiveness of UV radiation. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that all air passes close enough to light for UV light to be effective enough.
- One of the leading manufacturers of bipolar ionization equipment, AtmosAir, has a system with patented technology to treat the source of pollution without restricting airflow. This system is effective against particles, bacteria, spores, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and viruses.
As recently as last month, publications have been citing this technology for its employability as an effective COVID Prevention Technology, as seen in the Center for Active Design and Business Insider.
Even Gensler, the world's largest A/E firm, is installing this same system in its own buildings. See what they're doing here and pay special attention to point 4, "Invest in air cleaning systems to protect collaborative environments."
Source: Newman Consulting Group.
