International. A study conducted by University College Dublin (UCD) and Mater Hospital in Dublin used Camfil air filtration solutions to find the effectiveness of air purifiers in cleaning unventilated spaces.
In a World Health Organization statement on the spread of COVID-19, they state that "the virus can spread from the mouth or nose of an infected person in tiny liquid particles when coughing, sneezing, talking, singing, or breathing. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols." To understand how HEPA air purification systems can help reduce spread, the UCD team conducted tests of Camfil City M air purifiers in the indoor environment.
A new study by Camfil, in conjunction with University College Dublin (UCD) and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH), found that Camfil's City M air purifiers remove aerosols from poorly ventilated rooms at a rate four times faster than normal. In experiments conducted by UCD principal investigator and lecturer Dr. Kevin Nolan of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, on the presence of aerosol in poorly ventilated spaces, Camfil's City M air purifiers were used to quickly clean an aerosol room.
For this experiment, a room at the MMUH in Dublin measuring 4 x 2.5 m x 2.6 m was filled with aerosol for thirty seconds, using a smoke rod. Aerosol presence was measured by observing the average imaging intensity of laser light scattered by the aerosol. These experiments found that when left untreated, the aerosol dissipated slowly over 500 seconds. When the City M air purifier reached its maximum speed, the aerosol was removed in less than 160 seconds. When a small heater was used to provide additional natural convection flow, the untreated aerosol particles dissipated in an alarming 800 seconds, which were reduced to less than 200 seconds with the use of Camfil City M.
These findings are significant because on 30 April 2021 the WHO declared that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through inhalation of aerosols into the air within a close range. Camfil air purifiers can reduce the spread of COVID-19, while also addressing older health issues. Air pollution is the biggest risk to environmental health in Europe. The WHO estimates that 400,000 deaths in Europe and 1,080 in Ireland each year are attributable to poor air quality. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified air pollution, particularly PM2.5, as one of the leading causes of cancer. High-efficiency particulate air filtration (HEPA) technologies are capable of greatly reducing particulate circulation in the air by more than 99 percent.
"Since 1963, Camfil has been committed to educating the public about the importance of clean air and providing high-quality solutions to protect people, processes and the environment. The past year and a half has made our mission and purpose more important than ever, as the idea of clean air has become a priority for people. While COVID-19 is likely to be a temporary disaster, air pollution has become a permanent fixture for people around the world. While removing harmful pollutants is not an easy task, protecting our environment is; we are determined to show people that installing HEPA filters in buildings can and will decrease the risk of inhaling harmful contaminants. This fantastic UCD study is proof of the success of Camfil filters," said Paul Flanagan, Managing Director of Camfil Ireland.
"We are very grateful to Camfil for allowing us to use their City M air purifiers for these experiments. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, it has become increasingly important to test new methods to keep our indoor spaces clean and free of airborne particles. Camfil's City M air purifiers have proven to be very effective in removing the presence of aerosols quickly and efficiently, creating a healthier and safer environment. Conducting these experiments at Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin has allowed us to show how hospitals can benefit from using high-quality air purifiers to protect patients and staff," commented Dr Kevin Nolan of UCD's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
