Thursday, August 26, 2021

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Schools — Camfil Works with a Mid-Atlantic School District to Better Protect Students’ Health

A new case study by Camfil reveals the potential for clean air in schools, even when the buildings’ existing HVAC systems are not equipped to handle high efficiency air filters.

Why is Indoor Air Quality Important in Schools?

Many people underestimate the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), particularly for the developing lungs of young children. Indoor air can be up to fifty times more polluted than outdoor air, with a range of indoor and outdoor pollution sources affecting indoor air quality.

The two major categories of pollutants that affect air quality are gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. The EPA has identified particulate matter as one of the leading threats to human health.

Recently, local and national governments have directed more attention towards the importance of indoor air quality. Due to its propensity to spread via airborne respiratory droplets and aerosols from infected individuals, the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness can be filtered out of the air effectively enough to reduce virus transmission risks. The good news is this can be accomplished using the same technology that removes other particulate matter (PM) from the air.

Breathing clean air provides children and adults with several health and cognitive benefits:

Cleaner, healthier lungs
Better immune system
Longer lifespan
Reduced allergy and asthma symptoms
Improved mood
Improved productivity

Case Study — Camfil Introduces City M Air Purifiers to Mid-Atlantic Schools

Camfil worked with a Mid-Atlantic school district to improve air quality in the district’s buildings. The district, which contains three high schools and multiple middle and elementary schools, aimed to provide their students with a safer environment conducive to successful learning.

Similar to many schools and public buildings around the country, the district’s school buildings had limited space for filters in their existing HVAC systems. Replacing an entire HVAC system is not always an option because of cost and also the structural stability of the facility to handle the added equipment.

Camfil introduced the mid-Atlantic school district to the City M air purifier, an in-room air purification unit that uses HEPA filtration and is capable of moving 256 cubic feet of purified air per minute. Camfil recommended the City M as a supplement to existing filtration within the HVAC system.

To test the improvement in air quality from using the City M, Camfil representatives established baseline measurements on airborne particle concentrations using sensitive particle counters before students entered the classrooms. Measurements were taken again using those same counters after students were in the room with normal classroom activities underway and with the City M in operation. This procedure was duplicated in two district elementary schools.

After almost 2000 measurements, it was determined that particle counts in all three size ranges were reduced significantly by the City M. Additionally, the City M units were able to deliver an average of two additional air changes per hour in the classrooms which is an improvement in ventilation rates.

“As I was recording the particle counts coming out of the City M while the children were in their classrooms, I could see the numbers continuously dropping. The particle reduction rate on several size ranges was over 95%,” said Keith Woolard, Regional Product Manager for Camfil. “This is not an easy time for students or faculty and making the decision to return to in-class learning is stressful, but I believe the City M’s ability to pull very small particles out of the air gives teachers one less thing to worry about.”.

Why Camfil’s City M Air Purifier is Ideal for Schools

The City M air purifier is an ideal solution to improve indoor air quality in schools for several reasons:

The City M uses HEPA air filtration, with each filter individually tested and certified to remove 99.995% of the most penetrating particle size (MPPS). As well as protecting students from the risk of spreading COVID-19 infections, the City M helps protect students from even the smallest particulate matter.
The City M functions independently of the HVAC system, meaning that it is accessible to all schools, regardless of existing air handling units.
The City M is quiet, so it will not disrupt instruction or learning.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, we provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment. We firmly believe that the best solutions for our customers are the best solutions for our planet, too. That’s why every step of the way – from design to delivery and across the product life cycle – we consider the impact of what we do on people and on the world around us. Through a fresh approach to problem-solving, innovative design, precise process control, and a strong customer focus we aim to conserve more, use less and find better ways – so we can all breathe easier.

The Camfil Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has 33 manufacturing sites, six R&D centers, local sales offices in 30 countries, and about 4,800 employees and growing. We proudly serve and support customers in a wide variety of industries and in communities across the world. To discover how Camfil USA can help you to protect people, processes and the environment, visit us at www.camfil.us/

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook

T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter

Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

The post How to Improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Schools — Camfil Works with a Mid-Atlantic School District to Better Protect Students’ Health appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Monday, August 23, 2021

What Is Filter Media? – Air Filtration and Indoor Air Quality Glossary

Leading Air Filtration Experts from Camfil Clean Air Provide Air Filtration Glossary to Clarify Dozens of Terms

Air filtration and breathing clean air has always been essential for protecting public health, but it’s not until the COVID-19 pandemic, in which airborne transmission played a major part, that indoor air quality received major public attention.

You may have heard terms like “MERV-13” or “aerosols” or “air purifier” in the news recently as various jurisdictions and organizations make recommendations for air quality in facilities planning to reopen to the public. The mystery surrounding these terms can cause confusion and difficulty in the process of upgrading and replacing commercial building air filters and in some cases, entire systems.

Air Filtration and Indoor Air Quality Glossary

Below is a list of terms and definitions related to air filtration and indoor air quality provided by experts at Camfil, a world leader in air filtration research and engineering.

Air Filtration and Ventilation Basics Terms

Absorption – when a substance assimilates into another such as in cream into coffee or sugar into water.

Adsorption – when molecules, atoms, or ions gather on the surface of molecular filtration media.

Air handling unit (AHU) – a piece of equipment which uses a fan to circulate air throughout a building, also referred to as an air handler.

ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Engineers)- is a professional association for experts in the HVAC, air filtration, and related industries with over 57,000 members in 132 countries. Although ASHRAE was founded in the United States, it is a global organization with the mission of advancing research on energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and sustainable development, as well as publishing technical standards in those areas.

Filter media – the part of the air filter, typically a non-woven fabric, that separates and holds the contaminants as air passes through the filter.

HVAC – an acronym for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. A building (or vehicle’s) HVAC system regulates variables such as temperature and humidity within a specific environment as determined by its inhabitants.

Pollution and Air Quality Terms

Aerosol – fine particulate suspended in the air generally less than 5 micron in size. Infected aerosols from human respiration have been shown to be a transmission route of COVID-19, because they can be inhaled by uninfected individuals.

Allergen – an allergen is a substance that is harmless to most people, but causes the immune systems of some individuals to produce an extreme reaction. Allergens in the air can include dust mites, pollen, plant matter, pet fur and dander.

Contaminant – any unwanted substance in the air that affects air quality.

Gaseous contaminants – also known as molecular contaminants, these contaminants include VOCs and any unwanted gases in the air that impact air quality.

Particulate matter – often abbreviated to PM1, PM2.5 or PM10, these microscopic particles suspended in the air are known to cause damage to human health as well as industrial equipment and processes. Particulate matter can be made out of anything.

Respiratory droplets – similar to aerosols except generally classified as larger than 5 microns.Respiratory droplets are droplets of moisture expelled from your lungs when you talk, breathe, cough, and sneeze. Due to their larger size, respiratory droplets do not remain suspended in the air for as long as aerosols, and therefore settle on nearby surfaces within a shorter period of time.

VOCs – volatile organic compounds are gaseous, carbon-containing compounds that easily vaporize at room temperature (in other words, they are highly volatile). Examples of VOCs include formaldehyde (CH20), acetone (C3H60), and ethanol (C2H6OH).

Air Filter Type and Filter Efficiency Terms

Activated carbon filter – a filter that uses carbon or charcoal treated to increase adsorption as its filter media. Activated carbon filters are used for gaseous (or molecular) contaminants.

Air purifier – a standalone device that operates separately from a building’s HVAC system to remove contaminants from the air. This may also be called an air cleaner.

HEPA filter – stands for high efficiency particulate air filter. In the United States, a HEPA filter must remove 99.97% of particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns. However, many products on the market falsely claim to provide HEPA filtration. Look out for terms such as True HEPA or Absolute HEPA filters, and use the guidance of an air filtration and ventilation expert, who will be able to help you purchase filters from reputable manufacturers.

MERV – a filter’s Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value is assigned by ASHRAE after rigorous testing that indicates how effective it is at filtering out particles in several size ranges. MERV values range from MERV-1 to MERV-16, with higher numbers indicating a more efficient filter.

MERV-A – when ASHRAE assigns a MERV-A value to an air filter, this means it has undergone additional steps in testing to indicate that it will maintain its rated efficiency throughout its lifespan. Many air filters use an electrostatic charge to increase particle capture, but when this charge dissipates, the filter can no longer capture particles as effectively. In other words, a MERV-13A filter will stay a MERV-13A filter for its entire service life, whereas a MERV-13 filter is likely to lose efficiency within a short period of time and perform only as effectively as a MERV-8 or MERV-9 filter for the rest of its lifespan.

Panel filter – air filters (generally produced from pleated media) designed to protect parts of an HVAC system or as a pre-filter to extend the life of a secondary filter in a multi-stage air filtration system.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook

T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter

Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

The post What Is Filter Media? – Air Filtration and Indoor Air Quality Glossary appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Thursday, August 19, 2021

CAMFIL INTRODUCES . . . New HTML Total Cost of Ownership Presentation

Modules From Kevin Wood, Vice President, Sales and Marketing

We are excited to announce our newest HTML presentation modules that emphasize Camfil’s core competitive advantages. In support of our position to always sell on value and direct prospects to look beyond first cost, we are now offering this robust presentation tool that covers our entire message. The tool is built on modules to allow presenters to choose the appropriate content and order based on audience interest. It is perfect to use in face-to-face meetings and is also ideal for virtual presentations when in-person meetings are not an option. The different modules complement each other to quantify Camfil’s value at a high level and pave the path to introduce and offer our additional powerful tools, such as LCC and CamTester. Best of all, the presentation modules set the stage to bring efficiency into the financial discussion which is especially important with COVID awareness.

The HTML presentation tool includes the following modules:

Total Cost of Ownership
Particle Filtration
Reduce Energy Usage
Labor and Maintenance
Sustainability and Waste
Why Camfil

Using the design format similar to the recent Virus HTML presentation launched November 2020, the TCO HTML presentation modules include spectacular animations to assist in engaging the audience with the content. Each module also comes with a script in PDF format that explains intended key points for each slide.

Camfil is conducting a webinar hosted by Mark Davidson and Martin Gravel on Friday, August 20 with three time slots to choose from – 9:00am, 11:00am and 2:00pm EST. The webinar will explain how to use the HTML format, highlight the flow and intent of the presentation, discuss target audiences outside our normal channel, and address any questions. Please register below and join one of our webinars to learn more about this informational and engaging new sales tool.

WEBINAR REGISTRATIONPick the time that works best for you, and click on the registration link below to register.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 – 9:00am EST

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 – 11:00am EST

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 – 2:00pm EST

The post CAMFIL INTRODUCES . . . New HTML Total Cost of Ownership Presentation appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Sunday, August 8, 2021

EPA: Indoor Air Pollution One of Human’s Greatest Risks and Proper Air Filter Selection is a Vital First Step

Indoor Air Pollution One of Top Five Environmental Risks.

With the advance of air quality monitoring technology, the real risk of indoor air quality issues is worse than previously thought. Selecting the proper HVAC system filter and maintaining it is the first line of defense.

While the concept of indoor air quality (IAQ) is not new to environmental researchers, it has recently come back under the microscope as researchers are trying to uncover the full extent of the threat it poses to human health.

According to a growing body of research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), IAQ is not only a threat to keep an eye on, but it is actually one of the top five environmental risks that human beings face on a daily basis.

For businesses, schools, and residences alike, following EPA recommendations for furnace filter replacement, as well as overall HVAC system maintenance, is essential in reducing the threat of indoor pollutants.

What the EPA Learned About Indoor Air Pollution

The EPA, as well as a number of private environmental research agencies, have been gathering data for decades about the role of airborne pollutants on human health. Only recently have they been able to uncover some of the mystery surrounding indoor air pollutants.

“Air quality monitoring technology has come a long, long way in the last few years,” says Mark Davidson, Manager of Marketing and Technical Materials at Camfil USA. “With improved technology, researchers are finding pollutants like formaldehyde, asbestos, radon, and even pesticides in higher levels than ever before. What this suggests is that the real threat of IAQ might be worse than we thought.”

Re-Defining the Truth About Home Air Filters & Commercial Air Filters

In an effort to expand the public’s awareness of IAQ and indoor air quality management, the EPA along with the Science Advisory Board have released The Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Approach, describing how indoor pollutants pose a direct threat to school children across the country. It also includes a number of actionable solutions for reversing the dangerous trends currently present in IAQ.

Ventilation Becomes a Top Priority as NJ Officials Move to Reopen Schools This Fall

In fact, nearly half of schools across the United States are reported to have issues with indoor air quality. In children who are under the age of 15, even light amounts of indoor air pollution can be enough to trigger respiratory conditions like asthma. And that’s not all.

Higher levels of indoor pollutants have been linked to the following chronic symptoms:

Fatigue
Headaches
Sneezing
Coughing
Nausea
Dizziness
Congestion
Nose, eye, or throat irritation

The truth about high performance air filters is they can reduce the amount of airborne pollutants in homes, schools, and businesses when they are properly installed, maintained and replaced when appropriate.

Protecting IAQ Fiberglass Furnace Filters vs. Pleated Air Filters

As Davidson suggested, the real threat of indoor air quality problems has been severely underestimated until very recently, forcing researchers, consumers, and air quality experts scrambling to play catch up. As more and more people become aware of the health risks, they are starting to ask important questions about the state of their air filtration systems.

“Most people, businesses and home consumers alike, are having another look at their HVAC systems” Davidson continues. “They want to understand terms like pressure drop, CFM (cubic feet per minute), ACH (air changes per hour), and even things like fiberglass furnace filters vs. pleated air filters. It’s essential more people take control of their own indoor air quality.”

For schools and businesses looking to quickly address their potential IAQ problems, choosing the right HVAC air filters for their system is an absolute necessity. Questions like what is the maximum depth filter the system can handle, what is the rated CFM of the unit and are there specific pollutants that need to be controlled, are all questions that need to be answered to determine proper air filter selection.

RELATED:

Why Are High Efficiency Furnace Filters Important in Your Home?

Having Another Look at Indoor Air Quality Management

While details of HVAC system operation are perhaps better left to the experts, there is a lot people can do to increase their awareness of potential IAQ problems. Owners and managers have more options than ever when it comes to detailed, data-based indoor air quality monitoring.

Knowing the specific pollutants present in your building’s indoor air is the first step in developing an effective strategy to mitigate it. The air quality experts at Camfil USA are highly experienced in the design, execution, and maintenance of professional air filtration systems. The Camfil website is an excellent resource for researching air filters or simply wanting to learn more about air quality solutions.

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