the indoor air quality problem
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a growing problem due to rising levels of air pollution, the prevalence of airborne bacteria and viruses, and growing health consciousness. Public awareness has now been heightened due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to EPA, we spend 90% of our time indoors, where air quality is 2 to 5 times worse than outdoor air quality. The World Health Organization
(WHO) states that air pollution kills 7million people worldwide every year and that 9 out of 10 people breathe air with levels of pollutants that exceed
their guideline limits.
Loss in productivity
Poor indoor air quality doesn’t just make us unhealthy. It makes us less productive. A major new study from Harvard University shows that there is a direct relationship between the amount of fine particulate matter in the air and how people perform in mental tests. The more polluted the air, the worse people perform.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims that, in the U.S., poor air quality results in $150 billion of illness-related costs per year. Of that, $93 billion represents lost productivity from headaches, fatigue, and irritation associated with sick building syndrome.
contributing factors
Airborne pollutants often take the form of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 particles) – 100 times thinner than a human hair – that can pass into
the bloodstream and cause harm. These airborne particles, many of which transfer from outdoors to the indoor environment, include vehicle emissions, smoke, mold & mildews, pollen, and dust.
Viruses like Covid-19 are classified as fine particulate and the latest advice from the WHO and CDC is that the biggest risk of transmission is from inhaling airborne particles, rather than from touching contaminated surfaces.
the solution
A study quoted by the World Green Building Councilsuggested that enhancing indoor air quality could be as effective in reducing aerosol transmission of viruses as vaccinating 50-60% of the population.
In its June 2021 update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration systems to capture Covid-19 particles, with germicidal ultraviolet light (UVC) as a supplemental treatment to inactivate the virus.
Why HEPA? Because it traps 99.97% of particles whose diameter is equal to 0.3 microns, with the filtration efficiency increasing for particle diameters both less than and greater than 0.3 microns. Covid-19 particles are typically 0.1 microns in size as aerosols and above 10 microns when enveloped in respiratory fluid, meaning that HEPA captures 99.99%. HEPA is even proven by NASA. Once the particles have been trapped by the filter, germicidal UVC can be used to destroy them so that live viruses are not harbored in the air purifier itself.