Clean Air Solutions: November 2022

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Growing Body of Research Reveals Link Between Commercial AC Filters and Employee Brain Function

While there is plenty of research out there pinning the dangers of workplace air quality on things like printer ink, furniture off-gassing, and air fresheners, there is one source of indoor air pollution that has not been so thoroughly investigated: our breath, our body temperature, and a little thing called CO2.

While the data is not nearly complete as many air scientists would like it to be, there is a growing body of evidence that the mere accumulation of CO2 that can occur in small, enclosed spaces (like your company’s conference room) can lead to noticeable changes in brain function.

The research, which includes work from the Berkeley Lab and the LBNL Indoor Environment Group, suggests that rapid CO2 buildup can dilate blood vessels, reduce neuron activity, and cause disturbances in communication between different regions in the brain. The result? An overall reduced ability to make effective decisions, which unfortunately is precisely the kind of thing that is done in conference rooms.

How Cheap AC Filters Prevent Adequate Office Ventilation

While the health effects of CO2 buildup are still being studied, there is no question that increased levels of carbon dioxide in indoor air can point toward system-wide air filtration issues.

“The buildup of CO2 is one of the more obvious indicators of a ventilation problem.” Says Mark Davidson, Manager of Marketing and Technical Materials at Camfil USA. “Not only do you have to worry about what the extra CO2 is doing to brain function, but the buildup itself means there could be other harmful air pollutants that are not being efficiently removed from the air supply.”

Cheap HVAC filters, improperly calibrated systems, changes in occupancy or even changes to the outside environment near the facility can all cause indoor ventilation issues to occur over time.

The Role of Commercial HVAC Air Filters in Employee Health

Without proper ventilation and air filtration of workplace spaces, there are a number of other harmful airborne pollutants that will have the opportunity to “build up” in the air supply, posing a threat not only to human health but also to the system components themselves, which can degrade when exposed to increased levels of airborne chemicals.

Commercial HVAC filters should be selected, installed, and replaced based on the needs of the facility compared to the performance capabilities of the air filter.

Rethinking Rooftop HVAC Filters for Commercial Use

Packaged rooftop units are one of the most commonly utilized air filtration methods for commercial HVAC systems. But no matter what type of system is installed, one of the most important things to consider is the type of air filters being used.

The air filter is one of the smallest and least expensive components in an air handling systems, but it has an impact on how the entire system functions. An air filter that is not up to the task not only increases operation cost, it affects the quality of the air inside the facility.

Upgrading Your Commercial HVAC Panel Filters

“The trick is to select an air filter that fits into the narrower space typically found within rooftop HVAC systems, but delivers the desired particle capture efficiency (MERV-A value) with a long service life (high dirt holding capacity) while maintaining a low pressure drop so airflow into the building is maintained at the proper level.”

That’s not as easy as it sounds says Davidson.

“Right now, our Camfil 30/30 Dual 9 sits at the top of the list. It has a high MERV-A value, 9/9A, meaning it will deliver MERV 9 air quality for its entire service life. It has a very high dirt holding capacity. In fact, it’s so high, we offer a 9 – 12 month service life guarantee on it. And, it maintains a low average pressure drop throughout its entire service life. It’s the trifecta of panel filters for rooftop air handling units” Davidson added.

Unexpected pressure drops from cheap air filters can result in poor ventilation. It’s important for industrial, commercial, and retail operators to fully understand the capabilities (and the lack of capabilities) of the air filters in their units.

Finding Experienced HVAC Air Filter Companies

Anyone who is looking to improve their own workplace IAQ should start by finding a commercial air filtration company that knows what’s actually at stake when it comes to office air quality.

Camfil USA has over 50 years of experience in the design, implementation, and maintenance of commercial and industrial air filtration systems, making them one of the most experiences HVAC filter companies in the country. At their website, you’ll find a number of Design & Engineering tools that can help you plan out an effective, efficient filtration system for your facility or workspace.

Sources

https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/vent-info

The post Growing Body of Research Reveals Link Between Commercial AC Filters and Employee Brain Function appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Sunday, November 13, 2022

The Obvious and Hidden Benefits of Air Conditioning

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 88% of American households reported some form of air conditioning with 66% of those households having central AC. In the nation’s geographical areas where summer temperatures and humidity are higher, the number is closer to 95%. However, according to the IEA, (International Energy Agency) only 8% of the 2.8 billion people living in some of the hottest areas outside of the US, have air conditioning in their homes.

The positive impact of air conditioning on our lives is hard to overstate. If it’s summer and you’re reading this at home, you are more comfortable than you would be otherwise. If reading online, you wouldn’t be able to do so at the speed and convenience (and low cost) as you do now without air conditioning cooling the servers in data centers that power the internet. If sick or recovering from surgery in a hospital, controlling temperature and humidity promotes healing. Doctors, nurses, other staff members and medical equipment perform better in controlled environments. At work, your employer reaps significant productivity gains in those spaces that are air-conditioned.

One less obvious benefit, and underutilized, of air conditioning, is the necessity to install filters that remove contaminants from the airstream to maintain the performance of the cooling coils. It was discovered early on that dirt accumulating on the coils essentially acted as an insulator and reduced the heat transfer which must occur during the refrigeration cycle. As such, the original purpose of an air filter was to protect the equipment, not the people in the space where the conditioned air was delivered. There’s more to this story and we’ll return to the topic later.

Unfortunately, air conditioning is not free. The components to cool the air, while often included within the same air handling equipment that supplies heat, are costly. In low humidity areas, evaporative cooling equipment can be used, but the majority of systems rely on chemical refrigerants whose impact on the environment must be controlled which further adds to the cost. There are other expenses, but the most obvious expense to operating an air conditioning system is the electrical energy required to power the fan which moves air through the system.

Fan motors can be controlled with variable frequency drives (VFD) to better match output with demand to avoid fan motors running at maximum speed 24/7. Smart thermostats turn the system fans on or off depending on forecasted temperatures, load demands or time of day. Both are effective strategies to reduce fan energy cost, however, there is one more strategy that could be utilized. But first, let’s return to the necessity of air filters in an air conditioning system and the challenges and opportunities they offerAll air filters exhibit resistance to airflow which is known in the HVAC industry as pressure drop and measured in inches of water gauge (in w.g.). This is the difference in air pressure between the upstream and downstream side of a air filter. As air molecules weave through the maze of fibers within the filtration media, air velocity slows much in the same way as vehicle traffic slows navigating crowded, twisty roads. As cars keep coming down the road, they bunch together and traffic slows even further. When this effect occurs in an air filter, there is more air pressure upstream of the filter than downstream and it’s this pressure difference that’s known as pressure drop.

In a standard air filter, the pressure drop increases quickly as more and more dirt particles are filtered out of the air and accumulate on the fibers. This makes the pathways through the media even more difficult for air to pass through than when the filter was clean. As time goes on, less conditioned air is delivered to the space. If it’s a warm, humid day and the space in question is your home, it can become uncomfortable. However, if the space is a data center, the expensive servers could be damaged or if the space is a hospital room, it could be harmful to your health. This is a problem that must be solved.

One solution is to program the VFD (variable frequency drive) to increase the speed of the fan in order to overcome the higher pressure drop caused by dirt loading on the air filter. This forces more air through the system and restores the correct volume of conditioned air into the space which is exactly what we want or what we need. However, each step-up in fan speed requires more electrical energy which increases cost. Here’s where the right air filter can solve one problem and deliver a huge benefit at the same time.

An air filter that’s been engineered and constructed for performance (using techniques borrowed from the aerospace industry to reduce drag in aircraft) will maintain a lower pressure drop which delays the VFD from signaling for an increase in fan speed. The longer the pressure drop can be kept low, the less energy is used. There’s a mathematical formula to calculate the energy savings which states that at the standard rated airflow of 500 fpm, if electricity costs ten cents per kilowatt hour and the fan efficiency is an average of 60%, then for every 1/10” w.g. reduction in pressure drop, the annual energy savings is $34 per year, per full size filter. That’s worth repeating, $34 per year, per filter. Extrapolate that to include all HVAC systems and the number of filters in each one and you can see the potential reduction in energy usage (and the corresponding reduction in carbon footprint) is substantial. In fact, low pressure drop air filters can save more money in energy than they actually cost.

But here’s the huge benefit mentioned before and it’s arguably more important than saving energy and that’s improving indoor air quality. As stated earlier, the coils within the AC system need to stay clean in order to be most effective and today’s high performance air filters do so while maintaining low pressure drop. However, are those filters designed only to protect the equipment? Could they be designed to perform dual functions and protect the people also?

In order to design an air filter to do both requires an understanding of several disciplines such as mechanical, aerospace and material engineering as well as the filtration mechanisms within fluid dynamics. By combining these, air filters on systems that service office complexes, schools, public retail spaces, airports, hospitals and others can be engineered not just with a low resistance to airflow, but also with a high particle capture efficiency on the sub-micron particles known as PM1.

99% of all particles in the air are PM1, less than one micron in size. While the human respiratory system has defenses in place to keep certain particles out, as we’ve seen with COVID-19, there are some particles too small for our bodies to capture. However, air filters with a high particle capture efficiency can capture those particles at a very high rate. But in the past, those filters also came with high pressure drops, sometimes too high for the system fan to overcome.

Thanks to dedicated engineers, high quality raw materials, and manufacturing techniques, high performance air filters exist today that capture and hold these PM1 particles and do so while maintaining a low pressure drop so as to keep operational expenses in check.

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 31 manufacturing sites, six R&D centers, local sales offices in 35+ countries, and about 5,200 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

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The post The Obvious and Hidden Benefits of Air Conditioning appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Thursday, November 10, 2022

EPA Releases 2021 Annual Air Report: What It Revealed About Pollution Levels and Air Quality

Each year since the implementation of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the EPA releases its Annual Air Report, highlighting the nation’s progress in the mission of reducing levels of hazardous pollutants in the air.

In this article, air quality experts from global air filtration industry leader Camfil explain the findings of the EPA’s Annual Air Report and what it means for Americans.

United States Air Pollution Follows a Downward Trend

The data from the Annual Air Report shows that key pollutants have been declining, both overall since the introduction of the Clean Air Act and year-over-year. It’s important to note that at the same time these key pollutants have declined, the US economy has grown and overall energy usage has increased. This demonstrates actions taken to provide clean and healthy air do not hamper economic growth.

Since 1990, the EPA has observed the following decreases in various pollutants:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) 8-Hour, 79%
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Annual, 61%
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) 1-Hour, 54%
Ozone (O3) 8-Hour, 21%
Particulate Matter 10 microns (PM10) 24-Hour, 32%
Particulate Matter 2.5 microns (PM2.5) Annual, 37% (from 2000)
Particulate Matter 2.5 microns (PM2.5) 24-Hour, 33% (from 2000)
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 1-Hour, 91%

Though total emissions of key pollutants have dropped by 78% since the very first Annual Air Report, the presence of dangerous air pollutants has not been completely eliminated, which still has notable effects on human health and the environment. In fact, the average American would see an extension of approximately two years in their lifespan if air pollution concentration was reduced to limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

EPA Report Highlights Dangerous Effects of Air Pollution on Health and Environment

As explained by the EPA’s report, there are six pollutants that

Carbon monoxide (CO):

Health effects: Exposure to carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches vital organs and other tissues, including the brain and heart because the molecules bind to a form of heme in the blood. It is well-known that exposure to large amounts of carbon monoxide can be fatal, but even in small amounts, carbon monoxide can lead to hospitalization in individuals with heart disease.
Environmental effects: Although carbon monoxide itself is not considered a greenhouse gas, the EPA notes that it contributes to the formation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses when emitted into the atmosphere.

Lead (Pb):

Health effects: Both long and short-term exposure to lead in the air are linked to severe consequences. Lead may harm nervous system development in children, leading to learning deficits, behavioral issues, and even lower IQs. In adults, lead exposure contributes to poor cardiovascular health and may increase blood pressure and even cause heart disease.
Environmental effects: When lead is released as air pollution, it invades water supplies and soil deposits, leading to decreased growth and lower rates of reproduction in plants and animals.

Ozone (O3):

Health effects: Breathing in ozone can immediately lead to a reduction in lung function, producing symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, migraines, and dizziness. This can aggravate existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma and emphysema, leading to increased hospital admissions in patients affected by such conditions. Ozone exposure is also associated with premature mortality from respiratory causes.
Environmental effects: Atmospheric ozone is essential for life on earth to thrive because it protects the planet from the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays. Ground-level ozone, on the other hand, has a variety of negative effects on the environment. Ozone damages plants by slowing growth and reproduction, reducing photosynthesis, injuring leaves, and reducing crop yields. The damage that ozone causes plants may subsequently change the structure of ecosystems, leading to reduced biodiversity and redacted plant uptake of CO2.
Related post: The Hidden Hazards Of Indoor Air Pollution From Ozone

Nitrogen oxides (NOx):

Health effects: Nitrogen oxides are a group of highly reactive gasses. Nitrogen dioxide is the most prominent health concern of this group. Like many pollutants, short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide is known to aggravate existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD, which can lead to hospitalization. In the long term, nitrogen dioxide exposure can contribute to the development of asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Environmental effects: Reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds form ozone while reactions between nitrogen oxides and other compounds form particle pollution. Deposits of nitrogen oxide acidify soils and surface waters, which affects the growth of plants, including crops, and the health of both wildlife and livestock animals.

Sulfur oxides (SOx):

Health effects: Sulfur dioxide is the most commonly occurring sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere as well as the one most closely linked with human health. Short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide increases symptoms of asthma. Increased ambient sulfur dioxide levels are linked to emergency department admissions for respiratory illnesses. This effect is especially pronounced for at-risk populations of his children older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions
Environmental effects: Sulfur oxides react with ammonia and other compounds to form particle pollution, which has a range of environmental consequences. Deposits of sulfur oxides also acidify soils and contribute to mercury methylation of wetlands. At high concentrations, sulfur dioxide causes injury to vegetation and decreases biodiversity in both aquatic and terrestrial systems.

Particulate matter:

Health effects: Much of the body of research examining the effects of air pollution on human health looks at the effects of particulate matter, especially fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which encompasses any particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less. Particulate matter is most closely linked to respiratory and cardiovascular harm, including symptoms of respiratory irritation (coughing, sneezing, sore throats, runny noses, and itchy eyes), and cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and strokes.
Environmental effects: Particulate matter is responsible for the hazy conditions and reduced visibility associated with air pollution. Particulate matter is known to be carried by the wind across long distances, where it settles on soil and on the surface of bodies of water. As a result of this settling, lakes and streams become acidic, coastal waters experience a shift in nutrient balance, sensitive crops and forest plants are damaged, and the diversity of ecosystems is diminished.
Related post: Older Americans at Risk – Low Levels of Particulate Matter Can Be Deadly

Improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Polluted Areas

The EPA’s Annual Air Report shows that levels of key air pollutants are decreasing over time, leading to better ambient air quality on average across the United States.

However, there are still many areas in which residents’ everyday lives are impacted by poor air quality. While the effort to reduce air pollution at the source and improve air quality for all Americans is an ongoing team effort, public, commercial, and residential buildings can make large improvements in indoor air quality through the implementation of the right air filtration system. Evaluating each application and installing the proper air filtration solution can actually lower overall operating cost, particularly when it comes to energy usage.

Most HVAC systems come equipped with a filter that protects the equipment from being damaged by debris, but these filters are not designed to protect human lungs from finer particle pollution. Furthermore, HVAC filters rarely target gaseous pollutants (such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide); MERV-rated filters are designed to capture particles, not to trap gasses.

With an air purifier such as Camfil’s City M, which works independently of the building’s HVAC system, building managers can target both gaseous and particulate pollutants for optimized indoor air quality.

To find out more about what air filtration solutions work best for your building, contact a local Camfil representative.