In December of 2019, SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that infects humans, broke out in the Wuhan Province of China. It soon enveloped the world into a new way of life. With the economy straining under the restrictions, governments and businesses are searching for ways to open safely.
Besides the rush for the development of a vaccine, safety measures in buildings are also being examined. One such safety measure is the inclusion of bipolar ionization in HVAC systems. Bipolar ionization is not a new technology- being popular in Europe since the 1970s. Now, big names in the US, such as the renowned John Hopkins Hospital and the giant Los Angeles International Airport are touting the benefits. Even Google Headquarters is adopting the technology into its HVAC.
Bipolar ionization involves a unit that splits molecules in the air into positive and negatively charged ions. These ions then cluster around airborne particles like mold, viruses, bacteria, and even allergens like pollen. The ions not only help to make these particles bigger, causing them to be easier caught by the air filter, but they also physically affect viruses and other pathogens. In the case of viruses, it affects the molecular structure of the protein coat that is a key part of the infection process. With the proteins altered, they cannot infect our cells, and thus cannot make us ill.
Philip Tierno, a clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU School of Medicine, says, “it can reduce 99.9% of microbes in a matter of minutes.”
With new information developing on SARS-CoV-2, numerous scientists now claim that the virus can be suspended in the air for much longer than previously thought, making bipolar ionization as a method of helping to clean indoor air even more important.