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The post Protecting Children from Poor Air Quality in Schools appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Monday, September 16, 2019

Mayors From Around the World Talk About Air Filters and Clean Air Solutions

In towns and cities around the world, air pollution from car exhaust, coal-burning stoves, power generation facilities, factories, and farms, continues to affect the quality of life for people living and working in or around these areas, forcing them to use air filters for protection.

Study after study proves that air pollution poses a real and serious risk to public health, so much so that it is linked to around 6.5 million premature deaths around the world, accounting for two-thirds of all fatalities caused by environmental pollution.

This includes air pollution from outdoor sources like toxic gases and airborne particulate matter (PM) and indoor sources such as the burning of solid fuels like wood and charcoal.

“Combustion is perhaps the single biggest contributor to air pollution,” explains Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “The burning of solid and liquid fuels generates toxic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, particles, and impurities like sulfur oxides and metals.”

Not surprisingly, the problem of air pollution is especially prominent in the world’s major cities, where industrialization and a high volume of vehicle traffic combine to create smog, soot and other airborne pollutants that threaten the health and safety of the public.

However, the good news is that some of the mayors of these cities are taking action, and for a good reason. With major cities being at the forefront in the fight against air pollution and climate change, mayors and city councils have firsthand knowledge of the crisis and the need for environmental protection.

Mayors Believe There is Still Time to Solve Outdoor and Indoor Air Quality Crisis

Although the challenges posed by high levels of air pollution on outdoor and indoor air quality are immense, some city mayors believe it’s not too late to solve the problem.

As New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told the Huffington Post, “We know we have a lot more to do. It’s going to take a lot of resources. It’s going to take public education. It’s going to take community organizing. But this is the way of the future if we’re going to save our Earth.”

The growing body of literature on the damaging effects of living with dirty air has compelled city leaders like Mayor de Blasio to launch initiatives and push for legislation to bring down pollution emissions.

In 2015, Mayor de Blasio signed into law the most comprehensive update to New York City’s Air Pollution Control Code in the last four decades. The law effectively erased obsolete and ineffective provisions in the Code, and introduced new emissions standards on pollution sources with little or no regulation, despite being major contributors to poor air quality.

These sources include:

Fireplaces
Commercial charbroilers
Food trucks
Refrigeration trucks

London Experimenting with HEPA Filtration Systems

In London, on the other hand, the city government is accepting innovative HEPA filtration systems and passing laws penalizing air pollution emissions.

In October 2017, London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched a £10 toxicity ‘T-Charge’ or emissions surcharge, targeting older, more polluting cars plying the city’s roads. The levy, which aims to improve air quality in the capital, mainly applies to diesel cars and trucks registered before 2006, but it also includes newer car models known to generate high levels of air pollution.

The T-Charge will apply on top of and alongside during similar operating times as the Congestion Charge, another levy aimed at drivers who enter low-emissions zones from Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. All in all, it will cost drivers around £21.50, roughly $24.00, to enter “clean” zones.

Taking its cue from the city, local tech firms are also thinking of new ways to use existing air filter technology to capture and remove airborne pollutants.

One such company is London-based Airlabs, which teamed up with the Body Shop in 2017 to build “breathing bus stops” in strategic locations in the city. These anti-pollution bus stops are outfitted with air filtration systems that trap airborne pollutants in the immediate area, creating a bubble of clean air for people waiting for the bus.

The Netherlands Turning to Air Purifiers and a Total Ban on Cars Powered by Fossil Fuels

The Dutch, on the other hand, have taken a more drastic approach, and are taking the technology found in air purifiers to build a smog-eating air filtration tower.

In September 2015, Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde unveiled the “Smog Free Tower” in Rotterdam after a successful fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. Designed to improve the city’s air quality, the seven-meter tall structure captures airborne pollutants to create a pocket of clean air in its vicinity. Roosegarde’s vision of installing the tower in a park came to fruition, providing people with a respite from contaminated air.

The machine is reportedly capable of processing 30,000 cubic meters of air in an hour—enough to capture smog particles and breathe out clean air using around the same amount of electricity as a standard water boiler.

Local politicians also want to pass a complete ban on the sale of all cars powered by fossil fuels by 2025, pushing electric- and hydrogen-powered vehicles as alternatives. The proposed law, however, would allow owners of gasoline or diesel cars to keep them.

Why High Efficiency Air Filtration Systems Are More Important than Ever

For people with respiratory problems, the need for high efficiency air filtration systems has never been more important. Research on air pollution has repeatedly warned us that breathing in air pollutants can increase the risk of:

Respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and lung cancer
Heart disease
Stroke
Low immune function
Even obesity

According to the World Health Organization, tens of thousands of premature deaths happen each year in the United States alone due to air pollution.

“Air quality is especially important to the most vulnerable segments of the population like expecting mothers,” said Seyffer. “These also include children, the sick, and the elderly.”

If the problem is serious enough to force mayors in wealthy cities like London and New York to take action, one can only imagine how devastating it is in developing countries, where access to health care is limited and governments barely have enough resources to feed their citizens, much less procure systems to purify the air.

If anything, this proves that air pollution is a universal problem that affects everyone, regardless of status, nationality, or gender.

How to Choose an Air Purification Systems

In cities with high levels of air pollution, it’s no longer enough for the location population to seek refuge indoors. What appears to be a well-sealed home or building can still have gaps between doors and windows, not to mention cracks on walls and floors, where polluted air can enter. Our air purification systems are designed to provide the best solution for keeping indoor air quality at safe levels in your building or facility.

When choosing an air filter system, it’s important to work with a reliable maker of industrial and commercial air filtration systems. Air filtration experts at our Camfil USA locations will happily take the time to understand the layout of your building, your particular contaminant exposure, or your immediate containment needs.

At Camfil USA, we take our responsibility of protecting buildings and facilities from air pollution seriously. Talk to our team to learn more about how to protect your buildings indoor air quality against air pollution. You may also explore our catalog to learn more about our air filtration products.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

The post Mayors From Around the World Talk About Air Filters and Clean Air Solutions appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Tuesday, September 10, 2019

How California’s Wildfires Increased Demand for Air Filters

Los Angeles Air Filtration News – Aside from wreaking havoc on homes and neighborhoods across California, last year’s historic wildfire season created toxic air conditions across the state, triggering air quality alerts and forcing residents to take refuge indoors under the protection of their air filters.

This year fires in western Canada are creating the same air quality havoc as the California fires, even affecting cities on the east coast with residual smoke air quality problems.

Although much of the public and media’s attention last year had been focused on fleeing from the fires and preventing them from spreading, experts are concerned that the dangerous air quality that accompanies wildfires—smoky air and hazy skies—aren’t being given as much attention as they should.

Wildfires often cause poor air quality, which is a health and safety crisis in and of itself, even when the contained fires are geographically far away. Once an isolated forest fire becomes uncontrollable, it releases plumes of toxic smoke that cause anything from coughing, shortness of breath, to burning eyes. It can also cause disastrous health problems, including coughing, extreme wheezing for those with pre-existing respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness, and even cancer.

“The smoke and haze produced by wildfires are teeming with toxic particulate matter,” explained Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “Prolonged exposure to particulate matter, or PM, is dangerous because these particles are small enough to penetrate the alveoli of the lungs, working their way into the bloodstream and vital organs of the body.”

When this happens, the risk of developing different diseases increases exponentially.

And the problem is that the health effects of wildfires didn’t just affect Californians. Smoke and haze carrying nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), which combine in the atmosphere to create soot, acid rain, and smog, can travel hundreds of miles from their source— commonly referred to in the air purifier industry as cross-state pollution.

Why California’s Fires Created a Long-term Indoor Air Quality Crisis

The unique conditions in the San Joaquin Valley could mean that even after the fires, which were actually happening elsewhere, are put out, residents in the area may continue to struggle with poor indoor air quality for years.

The San Joaquin Valley’s geography and weather patterns cause smoke pollution that drifts into the valley to remain trapped there. The heat, in turn, pushes the polluted air to the ground, preventing it from escaping. This trap is precisely what happened with the Ferguson Fire and the Mendocino Complex Fires dumping smoke into the area.

Its effect can be likened to a clogged sink that continues to get water filled with crud, food debris, and other particles. As more smoky air enters the valley, the pollution levels become more and more concentrated. In fact, even if San Joaquin County produces less pollution than other parts of California, the combination of unique topography and climate puts their residents at a greater risk of breathing dirty air.

The air pollution crisis is by no means limited to San Joaquin Valley. The Bay Area was also affected and issued air quality alerts due to the nearby Mendocino Complex Fire. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which oversees nine counties in the area, implored people to avoid unnecessary driving to reduce the formation of smog after air quality levels had reportedly reached unhealthy levels.

The Best Air Purifiers Capture Wildfire Pollutants

Wildfires release large amounts of airborne pollutants such as:

Black carbon (also known as soot)
Brown carbon
Ozone
Particulate matter
Nitrogen oxides
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Direct emissions of these toxic pollutants are particularly dangerous to local residents and first responders.

In addition, wildfires also produce carbon dioxide, which can affect radiation, cloud formation, and climate on a regional and global scale. Unfortunately, the overall trend is clear—warmer and drier weather creates the perfect environment for wildfires to spew more smoke in vulnerable lungs.

Increased Frequency of Fires Makes High Efficiency Air Filtration Systems More Important Than Ever

With the growing body of evidence suggesting that climate change is making wildfires worse, high efficiency filtration systems may soon end up becoming commonplace in homes across the country.

It’s worth noting that in the 80s, there was an average of 140 wildfires that burned through at least 1,000 acres of land per year. This number ballooned to 250 wildfires per year between 2000 and 2012. Unfortunately, there is now evidence that the increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires is already taking a toll on the health of Americans.

“When you are exposed to higher than average air pollution levels, your likelihood of becoming ill also increases,” said Seyffer. “In the case of wildfires, their impact on air quality can be hard to predict because of how far smoke and haze can travel.”

In fact, there is evidence tying the increase in wildfires to ambient air quality on seemingly “normal” days. While overall air quality across much of the U.S. has improved over the last three decades, states that are prone to wildfires, particularly those in the northwest, stand out for their poor air quality. In particular, a sprawling region that includes parts of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and California has higher levels of air pollution compared to the rest of the country.

As summers now become longer, drier, and warmer due to climate change, it’s transforming forests in the western U.S. into the perfect places for roaring forest fires with increasing ferocity. And when that happens, nearly every state in the country will be at risk of being affected by cross-state pollution from upwind smoke.

Can Air Filtration Systems Solve the Wildfire Pollution Problem?

While air filtration systems have been a massive help to homes, buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, and other organizations struggling with indoor air quality problems, air purification systems ultimately only treat the symptoms of the problem. Wildfires require deeper intervention in the form of reliable governance, regulatory action, and increased public awareness. By preventing wildfires from happening, it then mitigates their effect on air pollution.

Still, any protection is better than no protection at all, especially in areas affected by air pollution from wildfires. Air filtration systems are ideally designed to purify the air that enters a heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) system, ensuring that any outdoor pollutants are captured and removed effectively. In fact, high-efficiency particulate air filters are designed to capture more than 80 percent of airborne pollutants related to wildfires.

Beware of Cheap Air Filters that Promise “HEPA Performance”

With the growing interest in air purification systems for buildings and commercial application, a number of manufacturers have taken advantage of the demand for air filters, releasing systems that promise to remove contaminants or offer a high level of performance.

More often than not, these so-called air filters are underpowered, don’t work as advertised, or break down after a few weeks. Like any important investment in a home or building, an air filtration system will never come cheap. Invest in high-quality, high efficiency air filters, and be sure to work with a trusted air filter manufacturer who can recommend the best solution for a home or facility.

At Camfil USA, we believe in protecting homes and buildings from the scourge of air pollution through high-quality products and air filtration education. To learn about the importance of protecting indoor air quality against wildfire air pollution, talk to Camfil USA. You may also explore our catalog of air filters to learn more about our product line or find a Camfil USA location near you.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

Sources:

https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/impacts/infographic-wildfires-climate-change.html#.W2ICJ9hKjBI

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Friday, September 6, 2019

Is Commercial Air Filtration a Viable Way to Fight Air Pollution?

The growing demand for high efficiency air filtration systems comes alongside an increased focus on the health dangers of air pollution. Organizations such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have repeatedly warned the public against the hazards of air pollution and its effects on the young, the elderly, and those with existing health conditions.

Air pollution can be especially problematic for seniors, many of whom have tried to live a healthier lifestyle by spending more time doing outdoor activities such as walks around the neighborhood, tai chi and yoga in the park, or simply walking the dog around the block.

True enough, the health benefits of walking and engaging in outdoor activities for the elderly are well-documented and include:

Improved lung and heart function
Reduced risk of stroke and heart disease
Improved management of high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and joint and muscle pain
Stronger bones and improved balance

However, a recent study published in The Lancet, suggests that poor air quality in major cities might negate these benefits.

The researchers conducted an experiment where they asked 119 people over the age of 60 to spend time walking outdoors. Some were told to walk on a busy street in downtown London while the others did their walking in the park. Some of the seniors were in good health while others had manageable symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or heart disease.

Upon examination, the research team found that while those who had walked in the park enjoyed lower blood pressure and improved arterial flexibility, those who had walked downtown experienced far less observable health benefits. The researchers traced the difference to high levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter from diesel vehicles traveling in downtown London.

Of course, one can always say that people can simply exercise indoors. However, this ignores the fact that outdoor air pollution also increases air pollution indoors.

How Does Outdoor Air Pollution Affect Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

While the pollutants affecting IAQ mainly come from inefficient combustion from cooking, heating, and lighting, outdoor contaminants can also exacerbate the problem.

In highly ventilated spaces, for example, outside air containing contaminants from car exhaust, fumes from power plants, and allergens can combine with dust, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) already present indoors to create an environment with poor air quality.

While sealing the building (i.e., keeping doors and windows closed at all times) may sound like a common-sense solution to the problem, outside air can still enter a building through cracks in the walls, ceilings, and floors. Furthermore, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units vent out indoor air and draw in fresh outdoor air, defeating the purpose of sealing the building altogether.

Commercial High Efficiency Air Filters and Sealed Buildings

But sealing the building also introduces another problem—one that requires the use of commercial high efficiency air filters.

“During the 1970s, the global use of energy became an important political and economic topic due to the energy crisis that took place during that decade,” notes Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “Many buildings were retrofitted with insulation, vapor barriers and new, tighter windows and doors. As a result, the buildup of contaminants and moisture inside buildings that had previously provided a healthy environment became an issue.”

Enter High Efficiency Air Filtration Systems

High efficiency air filtration systems are a common solution used to protect a building’s occupants and equipment from contaminants found in indoor air. High-efficiency filters prevent the buildup of indoor air contaminants and moisture, preventing the air indoors from becoming unhealthy.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this environment may cause Sick Building Syndrome—an illness with symptoms that include migraines, nasal irritations, respiratory illness, and fatigue.

How High Efficiency Air Filters Work

High efficiency air filters are used to force air through a fine filter media, trapping and removing particles such as pollen, dust mites and tobacco smoke in the process. Industrial filters are usually attached to existing HVAC equipment, where they trap the airborne particles disturbed by the vent system. The finer the filter media, the more particles it can trap and remove from the air.

Choosing Commercial High Efficiency Filters

True commercial high efficiency filters will capture airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in size. But not all high efficiency filters are built the same way, which means that some systems will be better than others. It’s also important to remember that these filtration systems only work for indoor environments.

If you would like more information about our Camfil high efficiency air filters and how they improve your indoor air quality, get in touch with your nearest Camfil USA location.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Why Poor Communities Need Industrial and Commercial Air Filters the Most

According to a recent report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), regions in Europe with the poorest, least educated, and most unemployed communities were the hardest hit by air pollution. Worse, families in these areas can barely make ends meet just to pay for basic necessities, let alone buy air filters.

Why Poorest Regions Are Hit Hardest by Air Pollution

And it’s a problem more common than people realize. In London for example, nearly half of the city’s most deprived neighborhoods had air pollution levels in 2017 that exceeded the EU’s guidelines. In contrast, only 2 percent of the wealthiest areas had issues with air quality.

The dangers of air pollution exposure are even higher for sensitive groups. The report found that heart attack survivors exposed to toxic air in the Greater London area were more likely to be readmitted to a hospital for treatment. Similar findings were reported in parts of France, Germany, Wales, and the Netherlands, as per the European Environment Agency (EEA).

“Sensitive groups face a higher degree of risk when exposed to air pollution,” explains Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “These include children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with existing health conditions. For them, inhaling dirty air could lead to lung issues, heart problems and even neurodegenerative disease.”

Comparing Outdoor and Indoor Air Quality Issues in the United States

These issues are by no means isolated to Europe. Here in the United States, scientists and educators have long raised concerns about the number of children in schools across the country who are constantly exposed to airborne pollutants linked to serious health problems. With children spending so much of their time in school, it’s obviously important for school buildings to have good indoor air quality.

But just like in Europe, the problem of air pollution seems to be drawn along the lines often dividing social classes. For example, minority and low-income students are more likely to be exposed to air pollutants in school, this according to a 2018 study published in the Environmental Research.

Using census data and information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the researchers mapped out the air quality around 90,000 public schools across the United States. What the study’s co-authors—Dr. Sara Grineski and Dr. Timothy Collins, both of the University of Utah—found is that the air pollution surrounding schools in the U.S. could be affecting an entire generation of youths.

Why Commercial Air Filtration Systems Are So Important in Schools

After gathering their data Dr. Grineski and Dr. Collins categorized schools according to concentrations of common airborne pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), lead and even mercury compounds. This data also effectively identified which schools obviously needed commercial air filtration systems the most.

The research team outlined the following findings:

Of the 90,000 schools surveyed, only 728 schools, or 0.81 percent, managed to get the safest possible score for indoor air quality
Of the 10 school counties with the worst air pollution, half had minority populations over 20 percent
As for the cities with the worst air pollution? The top five are New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, as well as Jersey City and Camden both located in New Jersey

According to one school teacher in Camden, a city where public schools are located in the industrial area of Waterfront South, air pollution is so bad on some days from smokestacks and vehicle emissions that by recess, many students are forced to use their inhalers. Once again, the issue of economic standing comes up—most of these schools’ students are minority children.

“People are already making the connections about air pollution and public health on their own,” said Seyffer. “The question now is what is being done at the policy level to keep people safe.”

A Need for Air Pollution Policies that Go Beyond Air Purifiers

Going back to Europe, it’s estimated that more than half a million premature deaths can be linked to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). PM2.5 is an especially dangerous pollutant, as it includes particles no larger than 2.5 microns in diameter which are small enough to enter the deepest sections of the lungs and cross into the bloodstream. When this happens, the foreign matter can reach the body’s vital organs, such as the brain, kidneys, heart, and liver, resulting in a host of different health problems. And while high-quality air purifiers are capable of capturing and removing PM, they only do so in indoor spaces—there’s still the issue of how to protect people when they are outdoors.

As mentioned earlier, households in underprivileged communities may not be able to afford air filtration systems at all. According to Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum of the World Health Organization, the report is concerning because while experts have known for some time that people in the poorest countries are more exposed to dirty air than people living in the richest nations, these inequities are actually still present in the developed world.

Air Purification Systems May Help Prevent Certain Diseases

According to the data in the European Environment Agency (EEA), strokes and heart attacks account for 80 percent of premature deaths associated with air pollution. This is followed by lung disease and cancer. There is also a growing body of literature linking exposure to high concentrations of airborne pollutants to new-onset type 2 diabetes in adults, child obesity, cognitive deficiency, and even Alzheimer’s disease. If anything, this only makes the case for having air purification systems in your home or building even stronger.

Findings linking air pollution to cognitive impairment make the results of the EEA report even more concerning. With the majority of people living in low-income or underprivileged communities unable to finish high school and proceed to graduation, a decline in cognitive abilities due to air pollution exposure could place them in an even more disadvantageous position, preventing them from finding job opportunities.

In the Meantime, Look for Reliable Air Filter Manufacturers

As leaders around the world continue to grapple with the air pollution crisis, what’s clear is that ordinary people have to be proactive in protecting themselves from poor air quality, starting in their own homes. If you are serious about installing high quality air filters in your home or building, it’s important to consult the advice of reliable air filter manufacturers and distributors near you. The air filtration professionals will take the time to understand your air quality needs, the size of the rooms requiring filtration, the type of pollutants present, as well as your existing HVAC system.

With the rise of so-called bargain filters that promise “HEPA-like” performance, it has never been more important to choose quality over initial savings. Bargain filters may be cheap at first, but often they simply don’t work as advertised.

To learn more about how industrial and commercial air filters can improve indoor air quality in buildings and homes, get in touch with the team at Camfil USA. You may also browse through our product catalog to explore our solutions yourself .

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

B: Find more clean air solutions on the Camfil USA blog