Industrial Air Filtration Safety Alert for Facility Managers!

Industrial Facility Manager Air Filtration News — Working in an industrial environment can be a challenging occupation. The machines used in today’s manufacturing facilities can cause serious injury if proper precautions are not taken. While all workers need to be properly trained on how to avoid accidents, one group of workers particularly at risk of injuries is the maintenance staff.

The maintenance staff interacts with every facet of an industrial facility so they are more likely to encounter dangerous situations. Not only are they often tasked with maintaining machines on the production floor, but they are also responsible for keeping the building envelop operating at peak efficiency. That responsibility brings them into contact with electrical wiring, plumbing, mechanical, air filtration and any HVAC equipment.

It is difficult to track injuries solely to the maintenance staff, and the practice of hiring outside vendors certainly complicates the matter. One study showed while making up only six percent of total employees, maintenance personnel accounted for 20 percent of the reported accidents. Of those, after transportation-related incidents, the number one cause of injuries in an industrial environment was due to falls. That statistic should be of particular concern to the maintenance staff because one job they regularly perform and puts them into close proximity of the roof’s edge is changing the air filters.

Challenges of Changing Air Filters for Industrial Facilities 

As an air filter collects dirt, the air has a harder time flowing through the high efficiency filter. This increase in resistance between the front and back of the filter can be measured with magnehelic gauges and is referred to as pressure drop. As the pressure drop increases, airflow into the facility decreases.

In some cases, this only results in discomfort as the temperature inside increases or decreases depending on the weather outside. In other cases, restricted airflow may create a negative pressure situation inside a clean process production facility such as a food production or pharmaceutical plant. When this occurs, a low air alarm will signal that dangerous airborne pathogens which are normally unable to penetrate the positive air pressure inside a building, are now drawn under doorways, open windows or unseen cracks in the building.

One solution to low air alarms is to immediately replace the high efficiency air filters in an attempt to restore the proper airflow. If the timing happens to coincide with a winter storm which has left a layer of snow and ice over every surface on the roof, that is no reason to delay; airflow must be restored. It’s been established that while workplace injuries are slightly higher during summer months, fall injuries are far more common during winter months.

While weather-related risk can’t always be controlled, you can take steps to reduce the likelihood of the weather playing a greater role in causing accidents when it comes to changing out commercial air filters.

As stated before, when a filter captures dirt, pressure drop increases and eventually reaches a point where the filter must be changed. However, there is a wide range in performance characteristics between high efficiency air filters. One style of filter may reach a high pressure drop within one to three months for example, while another style may be capable of maintaining the specified airflow for six or even twelve months. This allows the maintenance staff to time the likely changeout during more favorable conditions.

 High Efficiency Air Filters for Industrial Facilities

Camfil’s Food and Beverage Segment Manager Mark Davidson says “I’ve seen several large food plants go from changing prefilters every month to every six months. They adjusted the changeout schedule to spring after the heavy planting season in nearby agriculture fields and six months later before the heavy snows begin.”

There’s another benefit of higher performance filters. In some cases, large air handling units use three stages of air filters. A first stage low efficiency prefilter, an intermediate stage with a capture efficiency slightly higher and finally, a final filter with the highest capture efficiency to clean the air just prior to entering the plant.

By using an extender surface area pocket filter with a capture efficiency sufficient to act as an intermediate filter, the first stage prefilter can be eliminated. That not only reduces regular changeouts in challenging and dangerous weather conditions, but it also reduces the number of filter boxes that have to be transported up ladders, across crowded rooftops or near the roof’s edge.

Camfil Regional Manager Rick Brundage points out “This particular customer was able to consolidate two filter stages which consisted of pleated panel filters and heavy rigid box style filters to a single stage consisting of lightweight and easily carried pocket filters while improving overall filter performance. Not only did the maintenance staff appreciate the cleaner air inside the plant, they didn’t miss carrying heavy metal filters during winter.”

Maintaining the commercial air filtration equipment and building systems inside a facility is always going to be a challenging job for a facility manager and maintenance staff. It takes dedicated and talented people to keep everything running smoothly. Taking steps to lessen the potential of workplace accidents in industrial facilities, while giving employees the tools to succeed is a win-win for everyone involved.

 

Find more clean air solutions for Industrial Facilities by visiting our Camfil USA Clean Air blog.

Mark Davidson – Food & Beverage Segment Manager

Email : Mark.Davidson@Camfil.com

Camfil USA

 

Sources:

1. https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html
2. https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2017/11/01/Prepare-Now-to-Eliminate-Fall-Hazards-This-Winter.aspx
3. https://oshwiki.eu/wiki/Why_is_maintenance_a_high_risk_activity%3F#Data_on_accidents_of_maintenance_workers

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How Home Air Filters May Decrease the Risk of Autism

New Study on The Link Between Air Pollution and Autism

A recent study suggests that improving indoor air quality may decrease the risk of developing autism disorder. Learn how home air filters can help.

According to a recent study of children in the Chinese city of Shanghai, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which refers to particles no larger than 2.5 microns in diameter generated by car exhaust, industrial emissions, power generation, and other sources of air pollution increased their risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by up to 78 percent. The findings suggest that home air filters may not just prevent respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, it may also reduce the risk of certain brain conditions like autism.

The study, published in the journal Environmental International, is the first to look at the connections between long-term exposure to air pollution and ASD in the early stages of growth and development among children living in a developing nation. The study saw the participation of 124 children with ASD and 1240 healthy children (as the control group) over a research period of nine years.

The study, however, is not the first to examine whether air pollution increases the risk of ASD, as previous studies have already spotted correlations between the two, albeit in prenatal stages of child development.

Connections Between Outdoor and Indoor Air Quality and ASD

While the causes of ASD are multi-faceted and not completely understood, scientists are beginning to recognize environmental factors like outdoor and indoor air quality in addition to other factors like genetics. The suggestion of links between particulate matter and ASD is particularly interesting, as PM has long been known to cause a wide range of health problems that go beyond respiratory and cardiovascular health.

“Below PM2.5, particles become more harmful because they penetrate deeper into the lung alveoli,” said Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “They cross blood vessels walls, and can diffuse into the blood circulation to reach and affect an organs function.”

According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Zhiling Guo, the developing brains of young children are more susceptible to side effects caused by exposure to toxic substances in the environment, with several studies suggesting air pollution as having a detrimental effect on brain function and even the immune system.

He adds that these effects may explain why their study found such a strong link between air pollution and ASD. Still, Guo notes that the study’s results are far from conclusive and that more research has to be done to better understand the associations between air quality and mental health.

Home Air Purifiers Still a Good Way to Prevent Other Illnesses

Using home air purifiers and air filters to protect children from air pollution exposure and the plethora of health issues it causes is still a worthwhile investment for families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poor indoor air quality claims more than 3.8 million deaths every year—about 7.7 percent of the global annual mortality rate.

The usual culprits of poor indoor air quality include the burning of solid fuels in open hearths or cookstoves, the use of cleaning chemicals and disinfectants, and buildup of toxic gases like radon, which are naturally generated by soil and certain materials. Common types of indoor air pollutants include, but are not limited to, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM).

Mitigating Particulate Matter Pollution with Home Air Purification Systems

Guo and his team specifically looked at the health effects of particulate matter—specifically, PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. These are fine particles in varying sizes generated by combustion processes in automobiles, trucks, factories, and power generation facilities, as well as construction activities and road dust. Much is already known about the health effects of particulate matter pollution exposure, so much so that home air purification systems have been specifically designed to capture and remove these particles from indoor spaces.

High Efficiency Filtration Systems and Fine PM

Likewise, it is also known that the smaller the particulate matter, the easier it will be for the particles to penetrate the lungs and cross into the bloodstream. It’s no surprise then why PM1, which refers to ultrafine particles, represents the greatest danger to human health, as they are small enough to reach the body’s vital organs, including the brain, which is where Guo’s research focused on. It’s this danger that drives demand for high efficiency filtration systems, which are proven to capture PM down to fine and ultrafine levels.

Despite this, Dr. Guo expressed concerns that there have been few studies done on PM1 and that government agencies have yet to set safety standards for this specific type of particle pollution. Worse, in developing countries and cities with little to no air quality standards, PM1 levels are especially high. In fact, Guo notes that PM1 pollution accounts for a staggering 80 percent of air pollution in China alone.

Bottom Line, Home Air Filtration Systems Are Worth It

While the jury is still out on whether air pollution indeed causes autism spectrum disorder, it’s clear that air quality has a massive impact on overall health and well-being. If anything, this proves that home air filtration systems are a worthwhile addition to any home.

Get in touch with Camfil USA to learn more about our home air filters and clean air solutions. Our team will be happy to answer all of your questions about maintaining good indoor air quality in homes, commercial buildings, offices, schools, hospitals, or any other facility.

 

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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Source:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018315678?via%3Dihub
2. https://www.who.int/gho/phe/indoor_air_pollution/burden/en/

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Preventing Cognitive Decline with Home Air Filters

Learn why exposure to poor outdoor and indoor air quality was linked to a decline in cognitive ability among the elderly, and how home air filters can help.

By now we all know that air pollution is bad for our lungs and heart. It’s why home and building owners get home air filters in the first place, the better to prevent occupants from inhaling toxic particles and chemical fumes from car exhaust, industrial facilities, and construction activities among others.

But a new study of elderly people living in China found that air pollution may also be affecting our brain function as we get older.

The study’s results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that long-term exposure to air pollution may reduce cognitive performance which can range from paying attention to recalling previous knowledge and processing new information, citing a decline in verbal and math tests scores. In addition, the researchers note that as people continue to age, the connection between exposure to air pollution and mental decline becomes more apparent.

Furthermore, the researchers also found that the risk of developing cognitive problems was particularly high in men and individuals with low education attainment, adding that the loss in brain performance can be equivalent to a few years of education. Why this is happening, however, is a lot harder to explain, although the researchers hypothesize that it could be due to the different makeup of men and women’s brains.

Explaining the Links Between Air Quality and Brain Function

The research environment of the study could not have been more appropriate. Researchers Xin Zhang, Xi Chen, and Xiaobo Zhang conducted the study in China, whose cities have some of the world’s worst air pollution, causing indoor air quality in many homes and buildings to reach toxic levels.

To establish the connection between air quality and brain function, the researchers collected the language and math test scores of more than 20,000 individuals in China over a 4-year period between 2010 and 2014. They then compared this data with air pollution records during the same time period, taking a particular interest in particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

The researchers found a noticeable correlation between poor air quality and lackluster test scores, confirming their hypothesis that airborne pollution may negatively affect the brain’s white matter—the brain tissue that plays an important role in a person’s language and mathematical abilities.

And because men usually have less white matter in the brain compared to women, this could explain why the researchers believe that men face a disproportionate risk of suffering a decline in their language and math abilities caused by air pollution exposure.

While these findings are far from conclusive, they aren’t exactly the first to link air pollution to a decline in brain function.

“There are many studies suggesting that air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter, can damage the brain in both humans and animals,” said Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “Pollution from traffic is also associated with stunted brain development in children who attend schools in polluted cities and dementia in older people.”

How Home Air Filtration Systems Fight Air Pollution and Protect Brain Health

There is a substantial amount of research on air pollution and brain function, which is why experts recommend home air filtration systems not just to protect lung and heart function, but also to prevent neurodegenerative disease and brain development issues in children.

One study, for example, found that mice exposed to levels of air pollution similar to that in urban cities over a four-month period showed reduced brain function and inflammatory issues in the brain’s major regions. This meant that tissues in the brain had actually changed in structure due to the harmful effects of air pollution.

But again, more research has to be done to understand how and why this happens.

“We don’t know for sure how certain types of pollutants like particulate matter contribute to reported brain deterioration,” said Seyffer. “But what we do know is that PM2.5 is a likely culprit.”

High Efficiency Air Filtration Systems to the Rescue

PM2.5 refers to particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter—several times smaller than the width of a human hair. The good news is that most high-quality high-efficiency air filtration systems are perfectly capable of capturing PM down into the sub-micron size range.

The danger in PM lies in the fact that these particles have little mass, so they tend to stay airborne for hours, which only increases their likelihood of being inhaled by people. And because of their microscopic size, PM2.5 can enter the deepest recesses of the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

From here, PM2.5 can reach the body’s vital organs, including the kidneys, liver, and brain. There’s even evidence to suggest that PM2.5 can go straight to the brain through the olfactory nerves—the nerves that allow the nose to send information about smells to the brain.

In another study, postmortem brain samples of people who were exposed to severe air pollution while living in Manchester, UK and Mexico City revealed the telltale signs of Alzheimer’s disease. These included a clear buildup of plaque or protein fragments on brain cells, evidence of tissue inflammation, and an abnormally high concentration of metallic nanoparticles, include nickel, platinum, copper, and iron in the brain.

These same metals can be found in urban air pollution, mostly generated by the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, trucks, industrial facilities, and coal-fired power plants. Even constant friction on car tires and brakes can generate these particles.

Inhaling the particles found in air pollution can result in a host of negative effects on the brain’s structure, causing, among others, chronic inflammation in the brain’s nerve cells. In addition, the very act of inhaling air pollution can activate the microglia, the brain’s immune cells, which may generate dangerous reactive oxygen species with increasing frequency. This, in turn, can lead to cell damage and cell death.

Study Bolsters the Case for Installing High Efficiency Home Air Filtration Systems

In any case, the results of this latest study on the link between air pollution and a decline in cognitive performance only make the case for installing high efficiency home air filtration systems more compelling. If you have children at home, you definitely have a reason to install air purification at home, as young children are among the most vulnerable to dirty air due to their still-developing brains.

Air filter systems also address the fact that air pollution can also come from indoor sources, such as cooking, heating, lighting, and the use of cleaning products and disinfectants. While many people think that the best way to protect indoor spaces from air pollution is to keep all doors and windows shut at all times, this can also promote the buildup of indoor air pollution—do this long enough and inside conditions can end up becoming worse than outside.

Take Your Time to Shop for Home Air Purification Systems or Home Air Purifiers

If you’re serious about installing home air purifiers in your home or building, be sure to work with a trusted air filter manufacturer or distributor. Look for one who will take the time to understand your air filtration needs, including the size of the room requiring filtration, the type of pollutants present, and the existing ventilation system.

At Camfil USA, we know how important it is to keep the indoor air quality in your home clean and safe to breathe. Talk to our team to learn more about how you can protect your indoor spaces from air pollution. You may also explore our catalog of home air filters to learn more about our products.

By: Air Filters for Clean Air

 

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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Source:

1. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/37/9193

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Does the EPAs New Stance on Air Pollution Affect Home Air Filters?

The EPA is reconsidering a rule against toxic emissions from power plants. Learn how this could impact indoor air quality and drive demand for home air filters.

Commercial Air Filtration News – While many in the Republican Party have expressed skepticism over the science of anthropogenic climate change, which is climate change resulting from human activities, they have been less willing to deny the dangers of manmade air pollution. Most will agree that breathing in smog and soot is bad for human health and that home air filters are an important addition to homes or buildings, especially if they’re located in areas with historically bad air quality.

“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes two million premature deaths every year worldwide,” said Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “Long-term exposure to ultrafine particles can induce respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increasing the mortality rates for people living in highly polluted urban areas.”

While air pollution is considered bad for everyone, things are changing in the federal government, which has taken a new position concerning the impact of particulate matter (PM) on public health.

EPA Policy Shift Could Compromise Outdoor and Indoor Air Quality

Over the last two years, theories that were once pushed only by lobbyists in the tobacco industry and far-right conspiracy theorists have made their way into the offices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). From once being ridiculed for being unscientific, positions such as denial of anthropogenic climate change or that there is an “acceptable” level of air pollution are now behind a number of proposed EPA policy changes, which could have disastrous consequences on outdoor and indoor air quality.

In October of this past year, the EPA moved to scrap two external panels composed of experts whose roles were to advise the agency on how to limit toxic emissions of soot pollutants that form smog, after confirming in an email that their “service on the panel has concluded.” The agency also informed experts that had been considered to sit on another panel, this time one that would have evaluated the dangers of ground-level ozone, also received an email stating they would no longer be needed. A factor that may also be considered here is the present administration’s friendly stance towards industry and economic growth and the effect of funding cuts as the administration reverses historical EPA support.

How this Affects the Air Purifier Industry

The decision to close these panels is part of a broader effort by EPA administrators to change how the agency conducts and evaluates science. These include limiting what it considers as health benefits stemming from air quality rules and incorporating into rulemaking only the studies that use underlying data available for public access. This switch may end up changing the definition of what is “good” air quality indoors, which could affect how the air purifier industry rates and designs their products according to EPA standards.

Demand for HEPA Filtration Systems Could Rise

From a public health perspective, however, the EPA’s new position could put the health of millions of Americans at risk and force them to turn to the protection of high efficiency or even ultra-efficient HEPA filtration systems.

Critics of the EPA under the Trump administration slammed the agency’s policy shift, arguing that this completely rejects decades of strong assertions that there is no such thing as a “safe” level of fine particulate matter for the American public. They add that even floating the idea of changing the rulemaking process and setting a limit for what would be considered as acceptable levels of particulate matter would be the height of irresponsibility, especially from an agency whose supposed responsibility is to protect the environment and the public.

Proposed Particulate Matter Rule Highlights Importance of Home Air Filtration Systems

Under the EPA’s proposed changes, which are currently being considered by EPA acting administrator Andrew Wheeler, PM2.5 would no longer be classified as a “non-threshold pollutant,” or a pollutant that causes harm to humans regardless of the level of exposure. This change would effectively loosen the reins on car makers, truck companies, and power generation facilities, allowing them to use old technologies that produce more air pollution. At a time when awareness of the importance of home air filtration continues to grow due to concerns over air pollution, such a decision could cause a surge in demand for air filter systems.

Before Buying Home Air Purification Systems

As the EPA continues to grapple with the decision to make these policy changes, what’s clear is that average Americans have to be proactive about protecting the indoor air quality in their homes. But before buying home air purification systems, it’s important to focus on high-quality systems. Although the most expensive air filters are not necessarily the best, bargain filters are rarely reliable. When in doubt, talk to a trusted provider of air filter systems, who can recommend the most ideal solutions according to a home or building’s contaminant problems.

At Camfil USA, we have over five decades creating home air filters for homes and buildings of all sizes. Get in touch with our team to learn more about the different ways to protect your home’s indoor air quality against air pollution. You may also explore our catalog of home air filters to learn more about our product line.

Find more articles on clean air solutions and other topics by visiting our blog.

 

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

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T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter

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Source:

1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/14/epa-scraps-pair-air-pollution-science-panels/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2296bf442b75

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