Clean Air Solutions: Do Needlepoint Bipolar Ionizers Kill COVID-19? According to Experts, No

Camfil Experts Say Needlepoint Bipolar Ionizers Don’t Kill COVID-19. Learn more here.

In 2021, an expensive trend took hold as school districts searched for a way to make in-person instruction safe for students. School districts across the United States have spent tens of millions of dollars in federal government relief funds installing expensive needlepoint bipolar ionizers under the belief that they would protect students against COVID-19 infection by killing viruses in the air.

The problem: they may not actually work and in fact make an appearance in RealClearScience biggest junk science of 2021 article.

What Do Ionizers Do?

Ionizers release charged molecules (ions) into the air. Manufacturers of ionizers claim that these negatively or positively charged ions have a range of seemingly miraculous effects, including trapping allergens, reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, and even killing the virus that causes COVID-19.

However, there is little evidence to back up these claims.

Do Ionizers Actually Work Against Viruses?

ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Engineers, which is the professional organization that makes recommendations to governments and institutions in regards to appropriate air filtration and ventilation systems, has commented the following on the use of ionizers as protection against COVID-19 (1):

“Relative to many other air cleaning or disinfection technologies, needlepoint bi-polar ionization has a less-documented track record in regards to cleaning/disinfecting large and fast volumes of moving air within heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This is not to imply that the technology doesn’t work as advertised, only that in the absence of an established body of evidence reflecting proven efficacy under as-used conditions, the technology is still considered by many to be an ‘emerging technology.’ Convincing scientifically-rigorous, peer-reviewed studies do not currently exist . . . Systems may emit ozone, some at high levels.”

In other words, though ASHRAE has yet to take a firm stance on the effectiveness of bipolar ionizers as a means of protecting people in public spaces against COVID-19, they do assert that there simply isn’t enough evidence to rely on ionization technology.

The CDC has made a similar statement (2), additionally noting that some variation of these technologies has been around for decades, and evidence in their favor has yet to be established.

As other air filtration experts and engineers have previously pointed out, the research that points to the supposed effectiveness of these devices is severely lacking in several domains:

None of the research is peer-reviewed, meaning that the findings of the studies haven’t been replicated, and their methodologies haven’t been found to be sound enough for publication in any reputable scientific journals.
Much of the research is funded and organized by the manufacturers of the ionizers themselves, so there is a definite bias in the conditions and methods chosen, and therefore in the results themselves.
The conditions under which ionizers have been tested do not translate to real-life situations. For example, some studies test the devices in tiny rooms that don’t represent any real-life situation, while others fail to account for close, unmasked contact between people, which is responsible for much of the spread of the virus.
The studies lack an experimental control condition to establish any actual causal link.

Are Ionizers Safe?

Not only is it unlikely that ionizers are providing the protection that manufacturers claim they are, but some ionizers also emit ozone, and potentially at high levels. Ozone is a pollutant that can cause respiratory irritation, migraines, and dizziness, as well as decreased productivity and cognitive function.

There are two primary goals when it comes to returning students to in-person instruction. First, social interaction with peers is essential for meeting social and developmental milestones. Second, in-person instruction increases the effectiveness of retention and learning for many students by providing motivation and the opportunity for a range of learning activities.

If students are getting sick in school because of ozone buildup in their classrooms and their learning is being inhibited, the goal of improved learning over online instruction is undermined.

Air Filtration and Ventilation Protects Against COVID-19

A solution that is endorsed by ASHRAE and the CDC for protection against the spread of COVID-19 is the use of effective air filtration and adequate ventilation.

By using the appropriate MERV-A-rated filters in your building’s HVAC system, or choosing an in-room air purifying unit that uses HEPA filtration, you can actually trap virtually all of the infected virus particles that cause the spread of COVID-19.

Air purifiers with HEPA filters that have been scan tested and certified as H14 are 99.995% efficient on MPPS which stands for the “Most Penetrating Particle Size.” MPPS is the particle size that is most difficult for the filter to capture. In most cases, MPPS is between 0.1 and 0.2 micron. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is generally sized at 0.125 micron but is usually encapsulated within a respiratory aerosol which makes the overall particle even larger and captured at a rate higher than 99.995%. Once trapped in the dense media of a HEPA filter , virus particles cannot escape.

When combined with adequate ventilation, which prevents the buildup of infected particles and reduces the chances of infection, public building occupants can be protected against COVID-19.

Read more about air filtration and COVID-19 here.

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/

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Camfil USA Air Filters

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