Commercial Air Filters Are Solving the Cross-State Pollution Crisis

Cross-state air pollution is an environmental challenge that is one of the many factors driving demand for our commercial air filters.

On July 6, 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) in an effort to address the problem of power plant emissions from upwind states that cross state lines and reduce air quality in downwind states.

The rule highlights the often-unexpected consequences of air pollution. Pollutants from major metropolitan cities, for example, can travel for hundreds of miles, carrying sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which combine with the atmosphere to create soot, acid rain, and ground-level ozone.

“The CSAPR requires states, particularly those in the eastern half of the United States, to take action and improve air quality by cutting power plant emissions that cross state lines, increasing smog and soot levels in downwind states,” says Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “The CSAPR forces states identified to be major sources of pollution to be held accountable for their own mess, rather than place the burden of cleaning up on downwind states.”

These protections, however, are at risk of being rolled back by no less than the EPA itself. Under a new administration, the EPA published a memo in January this year providing a new guidance that allows a “major source” of air pollution to re-designate themselves as an “area source” if they can bring down their air emissions to area source standards.¹

“This rating system creates a loophole to stop using environment-friendly equipment and continue reducing their emissions after they get to the area source level,” points out Seyffer.

But what does all this mean for us and the air quality in buildings and homes?

Air Pollution is Generating a Need for Air Purification Systems

While evidence of the problem of cross-state air pollution can be confirmed by measuring the volume of hazardous particulate matter in the air, air pollution has an even more insidious effect—one that raises the importance of using air purification systems in our homes and buildings.

In 2016, a U.S. study found that women who breathe polluted air in the weeks leading up to or after they get pregnant face a higher risk of giving birth to infants with birth defects. Researchers collected data from more than 290,000 babies with congenital issues born in Ohio between 2006 and 2010 and matched these records with the air pollution measurements in their mothers’ homes.²

The researchers focused on PM2.5, or particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in size, which is commonly created by car exhaust and is primarily composed of smoke, dirt, dust, and soot. They found that women who were exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 in the weeks before or after their pregnancy were associated with “meaningful increased risk” of congenital defects.

How Does Cross-State Air Pollution Affect Indoor Air Quality?

While the main causes of indoor air quality issues are inefficient fuel combustion from cooking, heating, and lighting, as well as natural indoor air pollutants like fumes from building materials and cleaning products, outdoor air pollution can be just as significant a contributor to the problem.

This is especially true in highly ventilated buildings or homes in cities and neighborhoods bearing the brunt of air pollution. What usually happens is outside, contaminated air penetrates the enclosed space through open doors, windows, and even small cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings.

How Are Air Filter Manufacturers Fighting the Problem?

Because regular heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems only stir up indoor air, moving it from room to room and from the outside in, buildings have turned to air filter manufacturers to provide high efficiency filtration systems designed for schools, commercial buildings, manufacturing centers, retail establishments, and healthcare facilities among many others.

“High efficiency air filters are essentially devices that remove solid particulate matter and molecular contaminants to improve indoor air quality,” said Seyffer.

Air filtration systems typically use some kind of filter media held by a frame and sealed to prevent leaks between the frame and media so all of the air is filtered by the system. Filter systems may also feature a:

• Faceguard – This protects the filter media during transport and handling
• Gasket – This prevents leaks between the frame and its housing

While many air filters share similar components and characteristics, the filters and filter media themselves may be constructed in a wide variety of ways, depending on the desired effectiveness of the filtration system and its intended application. You can expect to see these systems in the form of bags, cartridges, panels and mats.

Classification of Air Filter Systems

Air filter systems usually fall into three primary categories based on their method of filtration.

• Mechanical Filtration – Mechanical filters capture contaminants the way a sifter separates food ingredients into larger and smaller pieces. These filters, in turn, use three different methods of mechanical filtration:
• • Straining – As the name suggests, this method works by capturing contaminant particles larger than the gap between the filter media’s fibers. This action is especially effective for filtering large particles like lint, dust, and hair.
  • Interception – This action uses a molecular phenomenon called Van der Waals force to attract particles following the air stream, ultimately contacting the filter media causing them to stick on the filter media.
  • Diffusion – This action is most effective for particles as small as 0.3 microns in size and is commonly used by high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and ultra-low particulate air (ULPA) filters to trap airborne contaminants in a highly porous media. These are the most efficient filters you can buy although they may tax the HVAC system with higher pressure drop or possibly reduced airflow.
• Electrostatic Filtration – This method of filtration uses electrostatically-charged fibers to attract and trap airborne particulates. Typically using polypropylene or polyurethane filter medias, filter systems that depend on electrostatic filtration can have an efficiency rate of up to 96 percent when removing contaminants in the air. Unfortunately, due to the fibers becoming insulated with contaminants as the filter loads they can drop in efficiency over time.
• Electronic Filtration – Electronic filters use a series of electrodes placed inside a filter grid. When an electric current is passed through the electrodes, the particles that enter are positively charged and trapped within a disposable or reusable negatively-charged collector pad. Because these filters run on active systems that use electricity, they can be expensive to run and maintain.

Are Filters and Air Purification Systems the Answer to Cross-State Air Pollution?

While filters and air purification systems have been a tremendous asset to all kinds of organizations and facilities struggling with indoor air quality problems, these solutions only treat the symptoms of a larger problem—one requiring deeper intervention through effective governance, regulation, and public awareness. Air pollution can only be solved if the actual source of the pollution can be addressed. Anything else is akin to preventing a fire from spreading.

Still, air filter systems are better than having nothing to keep polluted air outside our homes and buildings. Remember that when choosing a commercial filter, brand expertise and specialization matters. Not all filter systems, after all, are built the same way, so be sure to work with a manufacturer you can trust—someone who’s willing to provide custom solutions depending on your air quality needs.

At Camfil USA, we believe in making cities safe against air pollution. To learn more about our industrial air filtration systems, please click here.

 

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

Sources:

1. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/1/26/16936104/epa-trump-toxic-air-pollution
2. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pollution-birth-defects/air-pollution-around-conception-tied-to-birth-defects-idUSKBN1ES265

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How Will the EPA’s Air Quality Program Affect Commercial Air Filtration Systems?

Camfil Commercial Air Filter News – Established in 2009 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program designed to help home builders improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in homes and buildings through stringent construction practices and product specifications that reduce exposure to airborne contaminants and pollutants. The program also supports the installation of reliable HVAC systems with features typically found in commercial air filtration solutions.

“The most important part of indoor air quality is the cleanliness of the air,” said Camfil USA’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “Air contamination consists of particles, gases, and vapors that may reduce the well-being and health of humans and decrease the output and efficiency of production processes.”

The EPA created Indoor airPLUS to meet the growing consumer demand for homes with improved indoor air quality. Building on the foundation set by the agency’s ENERGY STAR requirements for new homes, Indoor airPLUS lists down several construction specifications for home builders, which include the careful selection and installation of:

• Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems
• Moisture control solutions
• Combustion-venting systems

How HVAC Air Filters Maintain Indoor Air Quality

The EPA has repeatedly warned against the dangers of poorly-designed and installed HVAC systems, which can compromise comfort and cause air quality problems. Aside from featuring carefully engineered systems and being compliant with quality installation requirements, Indoor airPLUS homes and buildings also feature:

• Improved HVAC air filters/filtration systems
• Dehumidification systems in warm, moist climates
• Whole-house and isolated ventilation to dilute and completely vent indoor air pollutants
• Regular inspection of air quality control systems and ductwork to ensure cleanliness and adequate airflow

Indoor airPLUS Requirements for HVAC Air Filter Manufacturers

Indoor airPLUS also provides a list of requirements for home builders and HVAC air filter manufacturers.

For starters, all filter access panels on any central forced-air HVAC system are equipped with a gasket material or some other kind of sealing mechanism. Access panels must also fit snugly against the filter’s exposed edge to reduce the likelihood of air bypass.

Indoor airPLUS also recommends these additional HVAC requirements:

• Install HVAC filters that are rated at least MERV 8 (ISO ePM10) or higher according to standards by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
• Air filters function best when the filter rack uses a flexible, air-tight gasket material, such as closed-cell foam, on the surface comes into contact with the filter’s downstream side
• The upstream side of the filter, on the other hand, should use friction fit or spring clips to stay securely in place
• Avoid installing any air-cleaning systems that produce ozone

Do Industrial Air Filters Meet Indoor airPLUS’s MERV Requirements?

In short, yes, they do. In fact, the minimum MERV rating for industrial air filters is MERV 8. However, what exactly do these ratings mean?

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides recommendations for the appropriate filter efficiency to ensure the protection of home and building occupants, as well as products and processes, from airborne contaminants and pollutants. So, even if air filter manufacturers build air filtration systems that come with a variety of features and efficiencies, they will at least follow a type of identifiable standard.

Different Commercial Air Filtration Systems According to MERV Rating

When it comes to efficiency, commercial air filtration systems are measured according to their minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). Each MERV rating is recommended for specific applications, which depends on the size of the space the air filter will be used and the kinds of pollutants it is expected to capture and remove.

• MERV 8 – Warehouses, storage areas, processing areas, mechanical equipment rooms, and electrical control rooms
• MERV 11 – Special processing areas, automotive paint shops, electrical shops, laboratories, and general office spaces
• MERV 13 – Electronics shops, drafting areas, analytical labs, conference rooms, and large office spaces
• MERV 14 – Hospitals and clinics, pharmaceutical research and development and manufacturing facilities, and certain clean rooms
• Combination of MERV 8 and MERV 14 filters – Aseptic hospital areas, clean rooms in electronics and film manufacturing, radioactive areas

Air filtration systems in these areas also use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which follow different standards published by the Institute of Environmental Technologies. They are the most efficient air filters available having an efficiency of at least 99.97% on particles 0.3 micron in size (1/300 of the diameter of a human hair)

A Final Note on the Need for Commercial HVAC Filters

The push for higher indoor air quality standards led by the EPA and other government agencies, and the subsequent demand for better construction standards and installation of commercial HVAC filters, comes from a growing awareness of the importance of clean air and a healthy indoor climate. Good IAQ is especially important for people who are sensitive to pollen, dust, chemical fumes, and other allergens.

Fortunately, research has proven that high-quality air filtration systems effectively capture and remove particulate matter and fumes from the air. Learn more about commercial air filters by getting in touch with one of the country’s leading industrial air filter manufacturers. To contact Camfil USA, please click here.

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

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Use Commercial Air Filters To Defend Your Home Against Nitrogen Dioxide

Camfil Commercial Air Filters News – One of the most damaging and common air pollutants is nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 is made out of atoms of both oxygen and nitrogen that poses a serious danger to people’s health and the environment. It contributes to a thick, noxious haze in the air that decreases visibility, causes lung damage, and damages plant life. It’s extremely important to be aware of the harmful effects NO2 can have, its potential sources, and ways to protect yourself from it.

Nitrogen Dioxide Air Pollution Makes Commercial HVAC Air Filters

NO2 is often emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels or biofuels, though it can also come from interactions in the atmosphere between nitric oxide (NO) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). NO2 emissions are highly correlated with emissions of other nitrogen oxides. For this reason, control measures that reduce emissions of other nitrogen oxides will reduce levels of NO2 as well.

“Levels of nitrogen NO2 in the air will often shift due to direct emissions and fluctuating concentrations of chemical precursors,” explained Camfil’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials for commercial air filters and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “Despite this, NO2 has been selected as the indicator for controlling ambient levels of nitrogen oxides (NOX) in general. This is because there’s often limited information on ambient levels of NO and NOX, and the health effects of exposure to NO or NOX aren’t as well known as the health effects of NO2 exposure.”¹

While NO2 is a threat by itself, it can also lead to the formation of other air pollutants. The photochemical reactions between sunlight, VOCs, and NO2 can give rise to pollutants like ozone. NO2 is also a key ingredient in the formation of nitrite, nitric acid (HNO3), nitrosamines, and nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs).

Commercial Air Filtration Systems Shield People’s Lungs From Nitrogen Dioxide

Research indicates that exposure to NO2 can cause lung damage and respiratory diseases. Controlled human exposure studies have shown that NO2 exposure can exacerbate asthma and intensify responses to allergens. Epidemiological studies have also found strong associations between NO2 exposure and cardiopulmonary effects, such as decreased lung function and respiratory-related emergency room visits.

“Children are at greater risk for harm from NO2 because they spend more time outdoors and are therefore exposed to more NO2 than adults,” warned Seyffer. “Several studies have found that long-term NO2 exposure as a child can lead to smaller lungs as an adult, as the NO2 prevents proper lung growth. Children with asthma also have lungs that are more easily irritated by pollutants, when compared to adult asthmatics.” ²

Adults who have chronic respiratory or cardiovascular ailments like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are also at severe risk for harm when exposed to NO2.

Industrial Air Filtration Units Can’t Affect Ambient Nitrogen Dioxide Levels, So NO2 Continues to Harm The Environment

In addition to harming people’s health, NO2 can easily damage the vegetation within a region or ecosystem. NO2 wreaks havoc on the leaves of trees and crops, impacting their ability to respire achieve photosynthesis. It’s important to note, however, that this damage typically only occurs when the duration of NO2 exposure is at least 0.2 ppm for at least 100 hours.

NO2 can create a thick haze that leads to the reduction of visibility. It transforms into a reddish-brown haze by absorbing the shorter blue wavelengths of visible light, and it also contributes to the creation of nitrate aerosol haze.

Commercial HEPA Air Filters Combined with Source Control Can Protect You from Nitrogen Dioxide

Indoor levels of NO2 threaten people’s health, much as outdoor nitrogen dioxide does. It’s important to limit levels of indoor nitrogen dioxide, whether through source control or the use of commercial molecular high efficiency air filters (carbon).

Source control means finding potential sources of NO2 and controlling their emissions. Space heaters and gas stoves are common sources of indoor of NO2. NO2 levels are affected by the number of NO2-emitting appliances in a home, the air exchange rate of the building, and the season of the year.

“Improperly vented furnaces, clothes dryers, and water heaters are also sources of indoor NO2, though emissions from them aren’t quite as common,” described Seyffer. “Levels of NO2 are often higher in the winter than in the summer, likely because gas appliances are used more often in winter while windows remain closed more frequently.”³

Molecular high efficiency air filters can help protect people’s lungs from nitrogen dioxide particles. They are also capable of absorbing up to 99.97% of all particles of pollutants, making them excellent protective tools for those who have sensitivities to NO2 and other forms of air pollution.

If you live in an area that has high levels of NO2 pollution, you may also want to purchase a portable air purifier that uses molecular high efficiency air filters. This will provide you with extra protection from NO2, beyond what a regular HVAC system by itself can provide you with.

Industrial Air Filtration and Ventilation Must Be Employed Alongside Strict Air Quality Standards

Because of the damage that nitrogen oxide can cause, air quality standards set by regulatory agencies like the EPA are of extreme importance. Ambient air quality standards reflect the maximum amount of a pollutant that may be in the ambient air without damaging people’s health.

The national limit for 1-hour nitrogen dioxide levels at is 0.100 parts per billion (ppb). The current standard was set in 2010 following an extensive literature review, which implied that previous standards for NO2 were too high to prevent negative health effects. While this is the EPA’s national limit, individual states can – and often do – create their own limits. For example, the state of California set the limit for one-hour NO2 at 0.18 ppm, a slightly larger margin than the national standard. A state may choose to set their own limit for NO2 because their own researchers may advise that a different level of NO2 is safe.

For information on how severe the levels of nitrogen dioxide and other air pollutants are in your area, check your local air quality forecast at Airnow.gov. This will help you make an educated decision about the type of commercial air filter you need for your home HVAC system.

Camfil USA is the leading provider of commercial filtration, which is guaranteed to absorb particles of nitrogen dioxide and other harmful air pollutants. Contact us today to have your questions about filters or nitrogen dioxide answered by knowledgeable professionals.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

Sources:

1. https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/aaqs/common-pollutants/no2/no2.htm
2. http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/2/303
3. https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/29/5/862/821457
4. https://www.airnow.gov/

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High Efficiency Air Filter Manufacturer Offers Tips on Driving Smarter

Of all the different forms of pollution attacking our planet today, traffic emissions are responsible for over half of the nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, and almost one-quarter of the hydrocarbons being released into the air.

These continuing high levels of air pollution pose a number of health risks to humans, along with virtually every other plant and animal.

When looking at current emission figures, it’s easy to see how much damage transportation does to the environment. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the use of gasoline and diesel engines for transportation in 2016 resulted in the emission of:

• 1,102 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) – gasoline vehicles
• 437 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) – diesel vehicles

These numbers are only a small segment of a much larger problem, however. Each type of fossil fuel produces CO2 at different rates along with other gases and particulates, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and many other toxic chemicals, all of which have been linked to cancer, birth defects, heart disease, and many other illnesses.

With billions of cars, trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, lawn mowers and other fossil fuel powered machines in operation around the world, outdoor air quality is considered poor, depending on where you live. The use of both industrial and commercial HEPA filter air purifiers can – and does – help significantly indoors, but the rest of the planet still suffers.

So, how can you impact change, as only one driver amongst the billions on the planet?

According to National Geographic Magazine, if all fossil fuel burning vehicles on the road today were replaced with electric powered vehicles (EV’s), oil consumption would be reduced by up to 21 million barrels a day. This would result in a reduction of CO2 emissions by 3.2 billion metric tons annually, which is currently equivalent to 60 percent of all U.S. emissions today.

Commercial and Industrial Air Filters Are Only Part of the Solution  

“We have found that by installing the appropriate commercial and high efficiency air filter, we can significantly improve indoor air quality by removing up to 99 percent of the contaminants in the air,” says  Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials at Camfil US, a leading commercial and industrial air filter manufacturer.

To help improve outdoor air quality and reduce world air pollution, learning to drive smarter is one huge step in the right direction.

• Carpool –Carpooling might take some time to adjust to, but the more you can carpool the fewer greenhouse gases and toxins will be released into the air.
• Plan Better– Instead of making several trips to run your weekly errands, plan ahead and combine as many of your errands into a single trip as possible.
• Use Your GPS– Use your GPS system or phone to map out accidents, traffic backups, and construction that could potentially leave you sitting in a dense cloud of exhaust fumes that even the toughest commercial HVAC replacement air filters might struggle with, let alone the cabin air filter in your car.

HVAC Air Filter Manufacturers Suggest Considering a New Car  

It might seem a bit forward for any industry to suggest people should buy newer cars that produce fewer greenhouse gases. Historically, both the industrial manufacturing and energy industries have been blamed for a much larger percentage of air pollution than is warranted.  As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established far more rigid emission requirements for those industries compared to the automotive industry. Yet change is coming, as HVAC air filter manufacturers and consumers are pushing for smarter cars and trucks that are kinder to the environment.

“One of the most important steps we can take towards reducing the amount of CO2 in the air is to take a very close look at the transportation industry,” adds Seyffer. “When it comes to fuel sources, very little has changed since the removal of lead additives. Perhaps, it is time to take a far more serious look at alternatives such as hybrids and electric vehicles.”

Three popular options include:

• The Hybrid – These vehicles use a combination of a smaller gas engine and an electric motor to boost power to the wheels. The batteries are recharged each time you apply the brakes. While this type of hybrid still burns gas, it’s much better for the environment than traditional vehicles.
• The Plug-in Hybrid – Powered first by batteries and then by a gas engine, these vehicles can travel from 25 to 80 miles on a full charge. After that, the car then continues to run on its gasoline engine. Commuters, on average, drive approximately 40 miles per day, so with the right vehicle it is possible to not rely on a gas engine.
• The All-Electric Vehicle – These vehicles are powered by a battery pack and an electric motor. With this being their only form of power, these vehicles do not require any fossil fuels and produce no emissions. While charging stations in certain areas are challenging to find, the rising popularity of all-electric vehicles is leading to the rapid expansion of charging stations around the country.  

Industrial Air Filter Manufacturers Say Taking Care of Your Car Can Help

Can you remember the last time your vehicle had a tune-up, a new air filter, or an oil change? When was the last time you checked the air pressure of your tires? All play a large role in how efficiently your car runs.

Poor air quality is at an all-time high, and in some major cities, it is so bad that it seeps into retail stores, office buildings, factories, and even homes, where the indoor air quality is even worse.  Change is needed, and minor routine maintenance helps both the environment and the air.

Here are three simple things you can do to help keep your car in tip-top shape:

• Get Tune-Ups Regularly –Most cars on the roadways require less maintenance than those from decades ago. But that’s not to say you should neglect regular maintenance. Every time you get a tune-up, you should also make sure to have the oxygen sensor and air filter inspected. If they are damaged or clogged, replacing them may increase fuel efficiency by up to 40%.
• Make Sure Your Tires Are Properly Inflated – Running your car on under-inflated tires can have a significant impact on overall fuel economy. Plus, underinflated tires wear out more quickly, which will leave you with old tires that must be discarded. Check your tires once a month and keep them properly inflated.
• Stay On Top Of Oil Changes –Be sure to have the oil changed in your car in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals. This will help keep your engine in peak running condition.

Do Your Part to Protect Our Air and Lighten the Load on Air Filter Systems

You might not stop to think about how much pollution your car and millions of others produce every day of the year. By simply learning to drive smarter and take better care of your car, you will impact change. If everyone would follow your lead, we could improve indoor and outdoor air quality, while simultaneously reducing the load on the world’s commercial and industrial air filter systems.

For more information on both commercial and industrial air filter systems by Camfil USA, please click here.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

 

Sources

1. https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/vehicles-air-pollution-and-human-health/cars-trucks-air-pollution#.WvSSfIgvyUk
2. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=307&t=11
3. http://www.momscleanairforce.org/clean-cars-guide/
4. https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/vehicles-air-pollution-and-human-health/cars-trucks-air-pollution#.WvSSfIgvyUk
5. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=323950

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Los Angeles’ Staggering Need for Commercial Air Filtration

Learn How Commercial Air Filtration Can Improve Air Quality for the Citizens of Los Angeles

Around the world, air pollution is a leading cause of ongoing health problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to pollution contributes to lung cancer, heart disease, and asthma – among other serious conditions. In cities like Los Angeles, where pollution is particularly evident, preventative measures like commercial air filtration are necessary for human health and survival.

More than 133.9 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Los Angeles, in particular, is known for its staggering pollution. Even though California has seen an improvement in air quality over the past few years, Los Angeles ranked highest in a study measuring the number of high ozone days in metropolitan areas. In other words, the problem is bad. And, without further prevention and purification, it could get worse.

For decades, experts have turned to residents for assistance by encouraging the use of public transportation, calling for a ban on hazardous products, and discouraging outdoor exercise. But what can you, as a business owner, do for your community? The most direct course of action is to improve the health of your customers and employees by making an investment in commercial air filtration.

What is Commercial Air Filtration?

The system responsible for removing pollutants like dirt, dust, and debris from circulating air in your business is known as high efficiency commercial air filtration. The main component of this system is your air filter. Some filters, like those containing carbon, may remove odors in addition to other gaseous pollutants. They also have a high efficiency at removing ozone. Your filtration system is a piece of a bigger picture – your heating, cooling, and ventilation system (also known as HVAC).

Particle air filters are made from a variety of materials, including foam, fiberglass, and pleated paper. The quality of your filter is based on its MERV rating. The higher the rating (ranging from 1 to 16), the more pollutants your filter will remove and the longer your filter will last.

How Commercial Air Filtration Systems Can Improve Los Angeles

In a city responsible for the health and economic future of millions of people, stakeholders in Los Angeles are trapped in a paradox. Those interested in making the city healthier are themselves suffering from its ongoing pollution.

And the problem isn’t solely, or even mostly, outdoors. Did you know that indoor air pollution is one of the five greatest health risks facing American citizens today? Business owners that refuse to invest in commercial air filtration often leave the air within their buildings more polluted than the air outside – directly harming customers and employees, rather than helping them.

While men, women, and children concerned for their safety may decide to leave Los Angeles, the choice is rarely so easy for business owners, who establish themselves in a single location and rely on regular customers to pay the bills. Since business owners have a strong interest in making the city appealing to young couples, families, and executives, commercial air filtration serves as a strong incentive to stick around.

If small businesses, hotels, public transportation, and office buildings are safe, citizens have thousands of safe harbors throughout the city in the very places that could have posed the highest risk.

Who Stands to Benefit from Commercial Air Purification?

It can be difficult to determine just how many people can benefit from your commercial air purification system. The numbers can range from tens to thousands. Anyone who walks through your door is exposed to cleaner, healthier air – paying customer or not. The more business owners participate in air filtration, the more citizens of Los Angeles will benefit from the investment.

A particularly large impact is made on your employees, who spend dozens of hours each week in the workplace. In the United States, thousands of retirees succumb to work-related illnesses like mesothelioma, COPD and lung cancer; diseases that festered within their host for decades. By using a high-efficiency filtration system, you’ll guarantee your employees a healthier present and a healthier future.

Finally, your choice to purify the workplace will have a positive impact on your health and economic well-being, in addition to the health of your family and friends.

Choosing a Commercial Air Filtration System for Your Los Angeles Business

Your commercial air filtration system hinges its effectiveness on the quality of your air filter. Without a sufficient filter, the investment is pointless. The strongest product available to business owners, by far, is the HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Absorber) filter.

HEPA filters come highly recommended for businesses that need the highest level of indoor environmental protection to protect from fumes and chemicals. HEPA filters are often found in hospitals, high tech industry manufacturing and other facilities where contaminants may be particularly harmful to people or processes.

A HEPA filter can remove up to 99 percent of contaminants from circulating air in your building. A cheap, bargain filter may remove less than 10 percent.

It’s important to choose a brand that cares deeply about the well-being of your customers and your staff. At Camfil USA, we believe in making cities like Los Angeles healthy again. To learn more about Camfil air filters in LA please click here.

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

 

Sources:

1. http://who.int/
2. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/air-pollution-worst-us-cities-2018/15/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA

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Commercial Air Filters Are Needed to Trap Cigarette Toxins

Learn How Cigarettes Harm the Environment and Create A Greater Need for Commercial Air Filters and Industrial Air Filtration Units

Many people know that smoking cigarettes can be harmful to their lungs. Some people also know that secondhand smoke can be harmful to people standing nearby the person smoking. Yet not that many people are aware of just how damaging to the environment as a whole cigarettes can be, or the overall amount of toxic air pollutants that cigarettes can release into the air. As it turns out, cigarettes can release a shocking amount of air pollutants, contributing to atmospheric levels of air pollution and harming the health of all of society. These air pollutants make the use of high efficiency air filters much more necessary.

Just how much air pollution is released by a cigarette? How do these pollutants harm people’s health, and what can people do to protect themselves from the toxic byproducts of cigarettes?

High Efficiency Air Filtration Units Can Filter Out The Dangerous Compounds in Cigarettes

When cigarette smoke is expelled into the air, it is made out of various concentrations of toxic air pollutants. The pollutants contained in cigarette smoke include nicotine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and various volatile organic compounds. These volatile organic compounds include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter.

Nicotine is the primary ingredient in cigarettes, and it is what gives them their addictive quality. Most cigarettes get their nicotine from refined tobacco leaves, combined together with a variety of other compounds to create three different forms of nicotine in cigarettes. These three different forms of nicotine can be released into the air depending on how acidic or basic the formula used was.

“Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds made out of only carbon and hydrogen,” said Kevin Wood, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Camfil USA commercial air filters. “They can be quite dangerous to human health and are often released by the combustion of biofuels like wood or coal.  In the 1980s, smoking accounted for roughly 90% of indoor air pollution. With our efforts towards non-smoking facilities and smoking prohibitions, a significant difference has been made limiting cigarette exposure, but it still can be identified when doing air quality testing in some buildings. It may be introduced through outside air intakes or an avenue of transfer between adjacent buildings.”¹

Heavy metals like lead and cadmium can be introduced into the air through cigarette smoke, originally having found their way into the tobacco used for the cigarettes through tainted soils where the plant was grown or by contamination in the facility where the cigarette was produced.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a number of different compounds that can interact with sunlight and heat to create smog and ground-level ozone. Ozone is harmful at ground level, unlike in the upper atmosphere where it protects the planet from ultraviolet radiation. Volatile organic compounds can include things like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Cars and industrial processes are another main source of these pollutants, as they primarily come from the combustion of fossil fuels, but the combustion of tobacco can release them as well.

Particulate matter (PM) is a catch-all term for any small particles of air pollution, liquid or solid, capable of entering the human lungs and bloodstream, doing significant damage to the cells of the body. PM pollution is split into three classes: PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. These particles are smaller than 1-micron in size, smaller than 2.5-microns in size, and smaller than 10-microns in size respectively.  The smaller the particles are, the more damage they can do to the human body.  The composition of particulate matter can vary, but PM pollution is always dangerous.

High Efficiency Air Filtration and Ventilation Protects People’s Health from Cigarette Toxins

Industrial air filtration and ventilation is an effective way of protecting people’s health from exposure to the air pollutants released by cigarettes. The pollutants can easily build up indoors, increasing the risk that occupants of the building will develop several different cardiovascular and respiratory ailments.

“The health effects of exposure to PAHs depend on how long a person is exposed to them and the concentrations of the PAHs,” Wood added. “The health effects of exposure to PAHs can include damage to the liver and kidneys, as well as the development of cataracts. Some PAHs are known to cause cancer in animals and have been associated with the increased risk of bladder, lung, or skin cancer in humans.”²

Exposure to heavy metals like lead and cadmium can easily damage the whole body. There is no known safe level of lead exposure, and lead can negatively impact the entire nervous system, as well as damage the liver and kidneys. Exposure to particles of cadmium can cause symptoms similar to the flu, including muscle pain and chills, and can damage the lining of the lungs.

Exposure to sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide can also damage the lining of the lungs, leaving them more vulnerable to infection. Nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide exposure have also been correlated with the development of ailments like asthma and emphysema. Exposure to ozone is known to degrade lung function after repeated exposure and lead to dizziness and wheezing in the short term.

Particulate matter is known to be extremely dangerous to human health, capable of causing a wide variety of different health problems. The tiny pollution particles are capable of damaging many different organs, although the lungs and cardiovascular system are the primary areas of damage. Particulate matter exposure is correlated with the development of asthma, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer.

Commercial Air Purifiers Become More Necessary As More Cigarettes Are Smoked

While the air pollutants released by cigarettes can lead to health damage and increase the need for commercial air purifiers, how much pollution exactly is released by cigarettes? Estimates about the concentration of pollutants included in secondhand smoke vary, but the pollution released by cigarettes can end up being substantial.

“At least one study estimates that the air pollution released by cigarettes was ten times greater than the pollution released by diesel exhaust engines,” stated Wood at Camfil USA commercial air filters. “This was done by comparing the number of pollutants generated by idling a diesel vehicle for 30 minutes in a garage using low sulfur fuel to the cigarettes left smoldering in the same garage for 30 minutes.”³

As for the amount of pollution released by a single cigarette, though the amount may vary from brand to brand, the average amount of PM2.5 pollution released is approximately 14 milligrams of pollution. When it is considered that the weight of the average cigarette is only about 0.9 grams total, this is a substantial amount of pollution released by only one cigarette.

“Cigarettes can also harm the environment and people’s health in more indirect ways. The farming of tobacco requires massive amounts of water and land,” said Wood. “To get the land needed to grow tobacco, regions of forest are often deforested. These deforested regions lose a substantial percentage of their ability to absorb air pollutants like carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.” 

Industrial HEPA Air Filters Can Absorb Harmful Particulate Matter

Due to the fact that cigarettes release a large number of toxic chemicals and particulate matter into the air, if one must live in a place where cigarettes are frequently smoked, they may want to use industrial HEPA air filters to reduce their amount of exposure to particulate matter.

HEPA filters (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are filters that are capable of absorbing up to 99.97% of all particulate matter down to 0.3-micron in size almost all of the time. HEPA filters can be invaluable tools for those who cannot reduce their risk of being exposed to cigarette smoke in other fashions and should be employed by those who have special sensitivities to particulate matter, such as those with pre-existing health conditions like asthma.

High Efficiency HVAC Air Filters Should Be Combined with Efforts to Reduce Smoking

Commercial HVAC air filters filter toxic air pollutants, like those released by cigarette smoke, but they can’t address the larger problem of smoking in general. Combating the air pollution created by smoking may only be done by curbing the number of people who smoke. Strategies to encourage smokers to quit smoking or to prevent people from becoming smokers include education, no-smoking zones, and taxes on cigarettes.

Educating people about the damage cigarettes do to their health can be effective at reducing incidences of smoking when done correctly. Studies suggest that education campaigns should emphasize the benefits of not smoking over the risks of not smoking, creating incentives to stop smoking.

No smoking zones and smoking taxes are also ways to deter smoking. These systems make smoking more of an inconvenience and thus deters people from continuing to smoke or starting smoking in the first place.

Camfil USA HEPA air filters can provide you with the filters you need to protect your lungs from particulate matter and cigarette smoke. Contact Camfil USA commercial air filters today to order high quality filters and receive support from trained professionals.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

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Sources:

1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53014/

2) http://www.idph.state.il.us/cancer/factsheets/polycyclicaromatichydrocarbons.htm

3) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/12481.php

4) https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/31/health/tobacco-environment-who-report/index.html

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Why are people selling fresh air to Chinese buyers?

The Scary Reasons Why China Is Using Canned Air Instead of Relying on Industrial Air Filters

Camfil Commercial Air Filter News – It’s well known that China suffers from severe levels of air pollution, largely as a consequence of its rapidly growing and industrializing economy. This toxic air pollution decreases visibility and makes it difficult to breathe. Cities that struggle with severe air pollution in China often need to rely on industrial air filters just so that residents can breathe without being exposed to massive amounts of air pollution.

Is the air pollution in China so bad that Chinese citizens are willing to purchase clean air?

One entrepreneur in Great Britain, Lew De Watts, has developed a company that sells jars or bottles of clean air to people around the world. One of the company’s biggest markets is China, and many glass jars full of clean British air have been dispatched to cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

Why would citizens in China purchase jars of clean air?

Aren’t commercial and industrial air filters and air purifiers wiser investments?

HVAC Air Filters in Commercial and Industrial Applications Are Important For Removing Particulate Matter And Ozone

The air in cities like Shanghai and Beijing is often packed full of dangerous air pollutants. These air pollutants include compounds like ground-level ozone and particulate matter. HVAC air filters are designed to remove these toxic air pollutants from the air so that people can breathe easier while indoors.

When ozone is in the upper atmosphere, it shields us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Yet at ground level, ozone is a toxic air pollutant that contributes to smog and damages people’s lungs. This ground level ozone comes from the interaction of heat and sunlight with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including things like formaldehyde, styrene, benzenes and gasoline fumes. Sunlight has energy, and this energy can easily transform these compounds into toxic ozone.

Particulate matter doesn’t refer to any one kind of air pollutant, but is instead a catch-all term for any small particles of air pollutants that pose a threat to human health. Particulate matter is usually divided into three different categories: PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. These particles are smaller than 1-micron in size, smaller than 2.5-microns in size, and smaller than 10-microns in size respectively. The smaller the particles are, the more dangerous they are to human health.

“Most particles are sub-micron, or smaller that 1-micron in size and at that size they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, doing damage to the body,” warned Camfil’s Charlie Seyffer, Manager of Marketing & Technical Materials and 37-year ASHRAE member and active committee participant. “. Particulate matter can come from a number of different sources, like the combustion of fossil fuels, the burning of biofuels, construction and road traffic.”¹

The air that De Watts’ company sells to Chinese consumers is substantially cleaner than the air in China. It has far less particulate matter and ozone air pollution within it.

Commercial Air Filtration Systems Can Prevent Harmful Diseases from Developing

It’s important for those who live in polluted regions of the world like Shanghai or Beijing to have access to commercial air filtration systems. Commercial air filtration systems use industrial air filters to trap particles of pollution and then push the cleaned air through the building, preventing dangerous particles from being inhaled. This is important since breathing in particles of air pollutants like ozone and particulate matter can cause a number of different health problems.

“High concentrations of ozone can irritate the eyes, throat, and nose. It can cause, coughing, wheezing and general difficulty breathing deeply,” explains Seyffer. “Chronic exposure to even low levels of ozone can permanently impair lung function. Ozone exposure can also make the development of ailments like pneumonia and emphysema more likely, by degrading the protective lining of the lungs and making them more vulnerable to infection.  Ozone exposure can also exacerbate previously existing respiratory conditions like asthma.”²

Particulate matter can damage the lungs causing issues like asthma. It can also affect the rest of the cardiovascular and respiratory system, causing ailments like chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, heart attack, ischemic heart disease and increasing the risk of developing lung cancer. The particulate matter is even capable of riding the bloodstream up to the brain where it can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and cause brain damage.

While breathing clean air is important to one’s health, it isn’t the primary reason that people in China are buying jars of clean air from De Watts’ company. One of the primary reasons why people in China are purchasing jars of clean air from De Watts is to make a political and social statement on the severity of pollution and the necessity of both industrial air filtration units and air pollution reduction policies.

Canned Air Isn’t Intended as a Serious Replacement for High Efficiency Air Filtration Units

High efficiency air filtration units, combined with pollution control strategies, are the best ways to ensure people’s health in polluted regions such as Shanghai. The air jars being sold by De Watts’ company are typically being purchased as novelty gifts that will go unopened, rather than as any serious attempt to breathe in the clean air. The act of purchasing clean air is also a symbolic gesture, a political statement on the fact that air pollution is so severe in China but that air is so clean elsewhere.

“The company De Watts starts selling jars of clean air at around 115 dollars per jar. The jars contain about 580ml or 20 ounces of air, and since De Watts launched his startup last year, he has apparently sold hundreds of jars of clean air, harvested from the countryside around Great Britain,” described Seyffer. “The air is collected at around 5 AM in the morning when pollution levels are often lowest. Both ozone levels and particulate matter levels are low in the early morning hours.” (3)

De Watts lives in Hong Kong and often sells his clean air at local street markets. His jars draw a sharp contrast to the air quality in China, a country that just recently issued the first ever ‘red alert’ for air quality in Beijing. So while the jars sold by De Watts aren’t intended to be serious solutions to China’s air pollution problem, they do highlight the need for industrial air filtration and policies to reduce air pollution.

Portable Air Purifiers Can Be Used Alongside Commercial Air Filtration and Ventilation

High efficiency air filtration and ventilation are important tools that allow people in heavily polluted cities to protect their health. They can be used in either HVAC systems or in standalone portable air purifiers.

When choosing a filter for an HVAC system, be sure that the MERV level of the filter meets your needs. MERV is a system of ranking how efficient a filter is at absorbing pollutants, and the higher the MERV rating of a filter the more pollutants it can remove. If possible, HEPA filters should be considered. These high efficiency particulate air filters can remove particles down to 0.3-micron in size and they are typically used in hospital operating suites and high-level air quality manufacturing processes that use clean rooms.  

Portable air purifiers are useful during times of intense air pollution when the regular filtration afforded by HVAC systems is insufficient.  Portable air purifiers should be used in rooms where people spend most of their time, like bedrooms while asleep or living rooms while awake. Check to make sure the portable air purifier you purchase uses replaceable HEPA filters, as other forms of pollution neutralization are less efficient.

Commercial Air Filtration Devices Can’t Protect People’s Lungs by Themselves

Commercial air filtration devices are critical tools that can protect the public’s health, especially in cities like Shanghai that suffer from air pollution that regularly hits orange air quality alert levels. Unfortunately, however, these devices can’t protect people from air pollution when they venture outside. For those who live in China’s polluted cities, it is important that they take measures to protect themselves and to cut down on air pollution levels.

Those who must travel outside on days with poor air quality should utilize industrial grade filtration masks, as regular masks designed to prevent the transmission of microbes aren’t small enough to filter out particulate matter. Industrial face masks are designed to capture the particulate matter generated from activities like sanding and painting. For this reason, they can protect people’s health in the way other masks can’t.

People who must be outside for extended periods of time should also pay attention to air quality forecasts and venture outside when levels of air pollution are at their lowest. Air pollution is usually less severe in the early morning.

It’s also important for both citizens and regulatory bodies to work together to reduce air pollution. Government bodies can enforce limits on air pollution emissions and create the infrastructure to limit emissions, but individual citizens will have to make changes to their lifestyle by choosing to walk, using public transportation or biking to work instead of driving.

Camfil USA industrial air filters can advise you on how to best protect your health from air pollutants while traveling abroad in China or elsewhere. Contact us today to have all your questions answered by knowledgeable professionals and to purchase high-quality industrial air filters.

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

 

Sources:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/air/particulate_matter.html
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21253670
3. https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/world/fresh-air-britain-china-bottles/index.html

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