As COVID-19 continues to put pressure on the nation and the world, attention has turned towards improving building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Several studies have concluded that a building’s HVAC system helps to distribute droplets from an infected person throughout the building.
With the need to reopen in a safe manner, states like New York have mandated that the HVAC systems in business buildings need to have HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters in order to reopen. HEPA filters are not just any filter. Having the highest MERV (minimum efficiency rating value), the filters are able to catch 99.97% of air particles that are equal to or larger than 0.3 microns in size. For comparison, aerosolized infectious droplets tend to be around 5 microns in size. To really top it off, the MERV rating is set at the filter’s worst efficiency, so one should expect it to perform even BETTER than the 99.97% efficiency rate.
But there are limitations to HEPA filters. Although they help to catch particles like viruses, bacteria, mold, and allergens, they do not reduce odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or destroy/neutralize pathogens (things that cause disease). They trap pathogens, but do nothing to actually kill them.
This is why it is imperative that a HEPA filter is combined with the other big HVAC technology- bipolar ionization. Bipolar ionization produces positively and negatively charged ions by using a plasma field that generates high energy to split molecules in the air. These ions surround air particles, and in the case of viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, remove critical hydrogen from their structures that are needed for them to infect us. Besides rendering pathogens in the air and even on surfaces ineffective or even killing them, they also agglomerate around the air particles, causing them to gain enough mass to drop to the floor and be caught easier by the HEPA filter. In regard to odors and VOCs, as they pass the plasma machine, they are split and recombined into harmless, naturally occurring molecules in the air like oxygen.
The air particle-trapping power of the HEPA combined with the indispensable pathogen-fighting ability of bipolar ionization makes the installation of both into a building’s HVAC a great choice.
Our Iso-Aire units do exactly this without even needing to redo the pre-existing HVAC, which is typically very costly. Providing two technologies that can help protect the indoor air from airborne contaminants and pathogens is a huge step that companies can do to protect those within, and we at Iso-Aire are ready to help you.
For those interested in a trifecta of protection, we also offer our units to include a third proven technology that combats pathogens, which is Ultraviolet-C light (UVC). Click here to learn more.