Clean Air Solutions

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Back to School: Why Schools Need Air Filtration to Protect Students

As students return to school for a new school year in many states, it is essential for school districts to consider the effects of air pollution on students and implement strategies to mitigate these effects.

How Does Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Affect Children in Schools?

Productivity: Better Air Quality Improves Learning and Cognition

Teachers make a variety of efforts to maximize the effectiveness of their students’ learning experience; customized teaching strategies, optimized classroom layouts, and detailed lesson plans are just a few of the factors that teachers consider.

But a crucial factor in a student’s success is the air they breathe. Research has demonstrated the effects of air quality on several key aspects of cognition.

In a 2016 study, researchers tested how air quality affected the cognitive performance of office workers. Study participants spent six full work days (eight hours) in environmentally-controlled office spaces, blind to test conditions. On each of the days, they were exposed to different levels of pollutants (VOCs and CO2), and the spaces were ventilated at a different rate.

Of the nine domains of cognitive function tested, researchers found that all were improved by higher air quality. Cognitive scores averaged 61% higher on days with better air quality and 101% higher on days with both better air quality and improved ventilation than on days that represented typical office air quality conditions.

Sharp cognitive function is especially important for children, as it is necessary for developing critical thinking skills, absorbing information, and learning problem-solving.

Attendance: Poor Air Quality Linked to More School Absences

Obviously, students will bear the brunt of air pollution exposure. In fact, a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Utah reveals that the number of school absences usually doubles the day after a red air day—that’s when ambient or outdoor air quality levels have reached unhealthy levels.

The study, which analyzed student attendance data from the Salt Lake City School District, found that even a slight increase in PM2.5—particulate matter no larger than 2.5 microns in diameter, also known as fine particulate matter—led to a substantial increase in the number of student absences the following day.

A 2019 study by a team of researchers at the University of Utah who analyzed data from the Salt Lake City School District found that school absences doubled the day immediately following a red air day (when local air quality data indicates that ambient outdoor air quality has reached unhealthy levels). The researchers also found that even small increases in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) led to significant increases in student absences the following day.

Health: Air Pollution Linked to Poor Health Outcomes, Including Childhood Obesity

In addition to the widely known effects of air pollution on respiratory and cardiovascular health, both in the short- and long-term, poor air quality has a wide range of serious, and sometimes unexpected, health outcomes. These outcomes are particularly prevalent among children and teenagers.

Many studies have documented the link between symptoms of asthma and childhood obesity. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, for example, found that asthmatic children were 51% more likely than their peers to become obese over the next decade.

Researchers hypothesize that the pain and discomfort caused by asthma cause children affected by the condition to play and exercise less, leading to weight gain. The presence of common pollutants in schools, including pollen, dust, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) worsens symptoms of asthma and triggers full-blown asthma attacks. With over six million American children affected by asthma, it is important for the air inside schools to be clean.

Sickness: Air Filtration Reduces the Spread of COVID-19 and Other Illnesses

The spread of COVID-19 in schools is still a major concern due to the close proximity of children to each other. COVID-19 is one of many illnesses that spreads via airborne respiratory droplets from infected individuals. Because these respiratory droplets are considered particulate matter, they can be filtered out of the air just like any other particle pollutants of similar size.

As new, more contagious variants continue to emerge, it is important to reduce the spread of infections within schools to avoid widespread infections and potential school shutdowns.

Premium Air Filters to Protect Students and Improve Learning for 2022 Fall Semester

Fortunately, poor indoor air quality in schools can be controlled through the use of high-efficiency air filters in the HVAC systems of schools where possible. In the many cases that the school’s HVAC system is not equipped to handle high-efficiency filters, standalone air purifiers, such as Camfil’s City M can be used. This provides the added benefit of removing gaseous pollutants, such as carbon dioxide and VOCs, from the air.

Read this case study to learn about how Camfil worked with a Mid-Atlantic school district to optimize air quality and protect students’ health.

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

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook

T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter

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Monday, August 8, 2022

Updated: Camfil’s New CamExtend Offers Better Air Filtration that Pays for Itself

Updated: This new add-on is a simple device that is easy to install and provides more options when selecting HVAC replacement air filters in space-limited situations.

Camfil announces its new CamExtend product, which installs as an add-on to existing HVAC filter bank holding frames, providing the end user an additional ten inches of filter depth allowing the energy savings installation of deep pocket, Hi-Flo® ES filters with the performance guarantees that come with it. Because of lower total operating costs, the small investment in a CamExtend will pay for itself in short order, saving hundreds of dollars over a five year time frame, depending on the installation.
This unique design of the sixteen gauge galvanized steel frame gives cost and energy conscious facilities more options for selecting high performance air filter products. No longer locked into using shorter depth bag filters or compact box style products, the CamExtend opens up the benefits of the 22″ deep, and in some cases the 30″ deep Hi-Flo ES to those with air handling units with limited inline depth.

>> Download CamExtend see product sheet here

The 22″ or 30″ Hi-Flo ES offers a longer life and increased energy savings,
Less waste and labor saved because of fewer filter replacements,
No more clips or fasteners,
40% reduction in the time it takes to replace filters, and
In some applications, the prefilter can be completely eliminated.

The CamExtend is easy to assemble and attaches into any front load HVAC filter bank, like a traditional double-header box style filter would fit. Once installed, there’s no need to change or remove the product again.

The CamExtend accepts specially designed Hi-Flo ES filters constructed with a full perimeter, SnapSeal® magnetic gasket. This combination provides significant savings in energy costs and eliminates the hassles of using clips and fasteners.

This seals the entire perimeter of the filter flat against the inner flange of the CamExtend eliminating air bypass around the filter so all the air is filtered, and
There are no fasteners or clips for any future filter installations.

For more details, on the CamExtend, see product sheet

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections — all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil customers go green without ever sacrificing performance. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.us, or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake
888-599-6620
Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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Thursday, August 4, 2022

Air Pollution Levels Peak in the Summer: Air Filtration Experts Explain Why Air Quality Is So Bad During the Summer

In many locations across the United States and across the world, air quality is at its worst during the summer months. In this article, air pollution experts from global air filtration industry leader Camfil discuss the factors that lead to higher levels of pollution in the summer.

Arid Summer Weather Conditions Increase Particulate Matter

A combination of weather-related factors increase levels of particulate matter in the air in certain areas. Most notably, an extended period of time with no precipitation causes dirt, sand, and soil in the ground to become loose and dry, as opposed to its more stable, compact form during other seasons. As a result, the loosened ground is easier to disperse via the wind, as well as the wheels of vehicles and foot traffic, sometimes as much as doubling concentrations of particulate matter in the area.

Additionally, hot, sunny conditions facilitate the formation of ground-level ozone most efficiently. Although this effect is somewhat mitigated by humidity in some places, dry areas are especially at risk of experiencing increased ozone levels during the summer.

Wildfires Release Pollutants Far and Wide

Over the past several years, wildfires have been increasing in both scope and severity across the world. During June through August, wildfires are at their peak. Wildfire smoke contains a range of pollutants — both particulate and gaseous — that affect air quality not only in the immediate radius of the wildfire but also in areas thousands of miles away due to the ability for the wind to disperse wildfire smoke in all directions, causing hazy skies and poor air quality in areas far from the site of the wildfire.

Summertime Activities Release Pollutants

With children on summer break, the volume of people traveling for vacations is at its highest over the summer. Increased air and road travel and the increased release of exhaust that comes along with it lead to higher levels of ambient air pollution. Furthermore, popular summer activities such as lighting bonfires and setting off fireworks reduces overall air quality.

Summer Thunderstorms Increase Presence of Pollen

Although spring rain clears pollen from the air, the conditions in a summer thunderstorm cause a unique distribution of pollen and plant spores that have been known to trigger asthma attacks. This phenomenon — which has occurred in widespread waves in Australia, England, and Italy, but is known to occur in isolated incidences in other places — was a mystery to experts and researchers for decades.

However, a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology examined a wave of “thunderstorm asthma” that occurred in Melbourne in 2016, resulting in over 8000 hospitalizations and 8 deaths. The researchers found that specific patterns of airflow, compounded by the humidity and static electricity in the air associated with summer storms, were likely responsible for the hazardous conditions. Downdrafts of cold air that form inside a thunderstorm work to concentrate pollen, mold spores, and other allergens, and then carry them into the clouds. The high humidity, windy conditions, and sometimes even lightning in the clouds rupture these particles and break them down into much smaller fragments that can bypass our bodies’ natural barriers and enter the lungs directly through the nose. Furthermore, windy conditions redistribute these dangerous particles around the area of the storm, leading to a larger radius of potential damage.

Air Conditioning Without Adequate Filtration Recirculates Pollutants

In most of the United States, where summer temperatures often soar over one hundred degrees, we would be very uncomfortable without using air conditioning in our homes and public spaces. At least 90% of American homes have some form of air conditioning, and 60% of those homes use a central air conditioning system.

Most central air conditioning systems are equipped with panel filters that are sufficient to protect the equipment from being damaged by large particles but do not protect building inhabitants from finer pollutants. As a result, HVAC systems may repeatedly recirculate polluted air while also bringing polluted outdoor air into the airstream.

To find the best air filtration solution to prevent your air conditioning from harming your lungs, discuss your options with your local Camfil representative.

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

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Sources:

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

How to Protect Your Lungs During Wildfire Season, According to Camfil Air Quality Experts

2020 and 2021 experienced some of the most severe wildfires in the nation’s history and some experts predict that 2022 may be even worse.

Wildfires are usually at their peak in June through August. This year, the combination of labor shortages and extreme drought conditions in Oregon is likely to produce especially tough conditions (1). Across the United States, more than 1.3 million acres of woodland have already burned in 2022 (2). Colorado scientists have identified new carbon monoxide-related health issues as a result of wildfire smoke from last August (3). Since last year’s wildfire season, new evidence has shown that exposure to pollutants from wildfire smoke increases the likelihood of contracting and experiencing severe complications, including death from COVID-19 (4).

In this article, air quality experts from Camfil give advice on staying safe from the health risks associated with wildfire smoke this summer.

What Pollutants Are Found in Wildfire Smoke?

Because wildfires involve the combustion — both complete and incomplete — of organic and other substances, wildfire smoke contains a range of pollutants.

Pollutants in the air are broadly divided into two categories: gaseous pollutants and particulate matter.

The gaseous pollutants in wildfire smoke may vary depending on what was burned, but the most common gaseous pollutants found in wildfires include:

ozone
sulfur dioxide
nitrogen oxides
carbon monoxide
carbon dioxide
volatile organics compounds (VOCs)
water vapor

The other category of pollutant is particulate matter. Particulate matter is defined as any solid or liquid particle small enough to remain suspended in the air. Particulate matter is a common result of the combustion processes that occur in wildfires.

West coast states, particularly California, repeatedly rank among the most highly polluted areas in the country. Though much of this pollution is attributed to car exhaust and industrial fumes, ozone and particulate matter, two of the most problematic pollutants present in California’s air, are common byproducts of wildfire smoke.

7 Tips for Staying Healthy During Wildfire Season from Air Quality Experts

In the United States, wildfires primarily affect the west coast and northern states. However, wildfire smoke can be carried hundreds and even thousands of miles by the wind, causing hazy conditions and poor air quality far away from the site of the fire.

For this reason, it is important to consider the effects of wildfire smoke and have a plan to account for air quality advisories in your area this wildfire season, even if you do not live in an area directly affected by wildfires.

Stay indoors when there is an air quality advisory in your area, or when there is visible haze in the air. Even if a wildfire isn’t occurring in your immediate area, wildfire smoke disperses, affecting air quality thousands of miles from the site of combustion. Keep your doors and windows closed under these conditions for the same reasons.
Reduce the time you spend outdoors under air quality advisories or when there is visible haze in the air.
Avoid exercising outdoors, particularly running and hiking. These activities require more frequent, deeper breathing to circulate the necessary oxygen around your body, which unfortunately means also breathing in more harmful pollutants.
Visit indoor spaces with a controlled, properly filtered air supply. Although under normal conditions more ventilation and circulation is better, during spikes in poor air quality, it is important that outdoor air is properly filtered before it comes inside.
Maintain adequate filtration in your house. In addition to helping clean the air youbreathe, this is crucial because most HVAC systems are not equipped to handle the extreme levels of pollution associated with wildfire smoke. The panel and fiberglass filters found in HVAC systems are there to protect the equipment from being damaged by normal amounts of pollution in the air. During wildfire season, you may find that you need to change your HVAC air filters more frequently.
Use an air purifier to supplement your HVAC system’s filtration. Most residential HVAC systems are not equipped to handle filters deep enough to deliver a high level of rated efficiency, which would protect your health from any pollution that works its way indoors. Fortunately, stand-alone HEPA filtration air purifier units can provide adequate filtration. Camfil’s City M air purifier uses both HEPA filtration and activated carbon filtration to target both particulate matter and gaseous pollutants.

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

Sources:

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Saturday, July 16, 2022

Manage COVID-19 and Other Airborne Contaminants with Proper Air Filtration at Gyms and Fitness Centers

Surface cleaning has always been an integral part of sanitation in fitness centers, particularly when it comes to wiping down machines or equipment that people have used. But as these facilities started to open again after pandemic restrictions eased, cleaning the air has become an important part of the hygiene regimen. While surface cleaning remains an important tool for fighting infection, better air quality through filtration and ventilation has come to the forefront of health and safety in helping mitigate COVID-19 and other airborne contaminants.

For fitness centers and gyms especially, improving air filtration makes sense because of the constant huffing and heavy breathing from exercising members. In fact, these facilities were specifically flagged by the CDC as high risk for COVID-19 transmission. Recent data has shown that the air quality at gyms and fitness centers needed attention even before COVID-19.1 The use of cleaning products, heavy breathing and sweating from members plus high humidity levels can create a “cocktail” of chemicals in the air.

“Cleaning the air will not only help keep your members safe, it will give them peace of mind,” said filtration expert Mark Davidson, Manager of Marketing and Technical Materials at Camfil USA. “This will allow them to enjoy their workout and have a positive experience at your gym without constantly thinking about the risk of catching not just COVID-19, but common colds and the flu as well.”

Other Threats to Indoor Air Quality

Although the COVID-19 public health crisis has dominated the conversation the past two years, there are other indoor air quality issues at fitness centers that, without proper air filtration and adequate ventilation, can threaten member health.

The heavy breathing of members in a crowded gym will increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Social distancing does not affect how much a person breathes, so the amount of carbon dioxide will stay the same. The air in the gym can also be polluted by:

Carbon monoxide
Chemicals such as formaldehyde that are used in cleaners and plastic equipment
Industrial pollutants from nearby traffic, machinery or factories
Dust particles and viruses in the air that fall and settle on surfaces

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that one exercising person emits more chemicals than five sedentary people.1 These human emissions, which include amino acids from sweat and acetone from breath, chemically combine with chlorine bleach-based cleaners commonly used to clean equipment to form new airborne chemicals. Researchers call this new “cocktail” of chemicals N-chloraldimines.1

How and at what levels these new chemicals affect human health is uncertain. However, chemically similar reaction products of ammonia with bleach are known to be harmful to human health. This is another reason why proper air filtration and ventilation are needed, even as we move from the pandemic to endemic stage of COVID-19.

Getting Back to Business

Fitness centers were among the hardest-hit industries during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenue in 2020 declined by 58% compared to the previous year in the fitness industry, and many people never came back to the gym once they finally reopened after prolonged mandated closures.

Instead, many consumers purchased home workout equipment and exercised with others “virtually” via an online platform rather than risk coming into contact with an infected person. The number of Peloton users, for example, increased from 1.4 million in 2019 to 5.9 million2 in 2021.

Getting people to come back to the gym is a challenge, particularly because COVID-19 remains unpredictable with potential new variants. Providing a clean environment is important to ensure a safe experience for every member. A big part of that is upgrading air filtration and ventilation systems in your facility.

Some studies have shown that increasing outdoor air ventilation reduces3 the chance of infection by up to 35% in densely packed venues.

Reoccupying a building at full capacity does not mean you have to completely replace your HVAC or ventilation systems. However, upgrades can be a big help.

Improvements in your fitness center could include:

Ensuring your ventilation system is operating properly
Adjusting HVAC systems to increase total airflow to occupied spaces
Turning off any demand-controlled ventilation controls that reduce air supply based on occupancy or temperature
Improving central air filtration
Ensuring exhaust fans are functional and operating at full capacity
Using portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems to enhance air cleaning

Focus on Air Filtration

Air ventilation pushes out the old air and brings clean fresh air in. That is critical for any indoor environment and helps lessens the buildup of carbon dioxide. Most buildings, including fitness centers, recirculate a certain percentage of indoor air and mix it with a set amount of outdoor air. 20% outdoor air for example may be mixed with 80% recirculated air. The recirculated air carries with it a much higher concentration of unwanted particles and chemicals generated inside the workout center.

“Indoor air can contain up to 50 times the contaminant level of outdoor air,” Davidson said. “It’s important to understand that air is recirculated through an HVAC system which may not be equipped with adequate air filters to handle the load created inside the facility.”

Air filtration complements ventilation by capturing airborne contaminants through air filters. This process cleans both outdoor and recirculated air before it is returned to indoor environments. There are many types of specialized air filters designed to capture different kinds and sizes of particulates. Airborne particulate matter (PM) is characterized by its size in microns (μm). A single micron, for example, is one-millionth of a meter; one inch is 25,400 microns in length. A person with good eyesight may be able to see a 20-micron particle under the right conditions. The most typical airborne contaminants are:

PM1 particles: < 1 μm in size, such as viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that can cause infections and disease
PM2.5 particles: < 2.5 μm in size, such as pollen, spores, allergens and other organic particles
PM10 particles: < 10 μm in size, such as coarser fine dust and organic particles
Coarse particles: 10 μm or larger, such as visible coarse dust, sand, leaves, hairs and other large organic particles

According to the CDC, the particle size of the COVID-19 virus is around 0.1 µm but is typically contained within larger respiratory droplets and aerosols.

A Few Words About Filters

A rating called the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) is used to characterize how well an air filter removes different-sized particles in the air. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends a minimum filtration efficiency target of MERV 13.Air filters with MERV 13 ratings or higher will capture at least 90% of the largest particles. This range of particles is between 3 and 10 microns and is the size of many virus-containing aerosols found in the air. The highest MERV value is 16, which will capture up to 95% of all particles over 0.3 microns.

HEPA filters are better than MERV 16 filters at capturing the smallest infectious airborne particles. A HEPA air filter captures a minimum of 99.97% of 0.3 µm particles.

Safe Breathing with Camfil CamCleaner Air Filtration System

Finding the right air filtration solutions for your gym can be a challenge. Camfil USA has decades of experience in critical air filtration systems for a wide range of businesses, industries and applications.

Camfil’s air purifiers are proven effective tools that can ensure clean air at your fitness facility. Ideal for gyms and fitness centers, the CamCleaner Horizontal is used to supplement your existing HVAC system. It is a ductless system that comes in modules that are usually suspended from the ceiling and installed in areas that have the highest airborne particulate concentration—like above aerobics equipment, weight lifting areas and yoga rooms, to name a few.

Horizontal CamCleaners are available in two sizes that move 2,000 or 4,000 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm). Our experts can help you configure the modules and select the best air filters and number of air filtration stages to make your fitness facility’s air as safe as possible.

Properly placing a series of Horizontal CamCleaner units throughout the fitness center creates the correct air pattern and substantially reduces airborne particles in the gym. The clean air from one unit pushes dirty air to the inlet of the next unit based on the designed number of air changes per hour.

Air filters are selected with regard to the specific contaminants of concern. Various filtration configurations include a prefilter, a secondary or final filter, and/or a HEPA or molecular filter as the final stage.

Camfil designed the CamCleaner Horizontal with the fitness community in mind. Unlike loud, large commercial air cleaners, CamCleaner modules make little sound – only 63-77 decibels – the noise level of a crowded room.4 Not only does the smart fan module minimize sound level, it includes a time delay relay for a staggered startup which is an energy-saving feature. This also keeps all of the fans from powering on at once and prevents circuit overload when the system is first turned on.

“Using supplemental air filtration methods is an effective way to provide additional layers of risk management at your gym to help keep your members safe,” Davidson added.

COVID-19 has changed the way many people look at cleanliness and indoor air quality. Not only do customers want to breathe clean fresh air in public venues, they now expect it. Camfil’s products have been field tested for many years and can keep the air in your fitness facility top-notch at all times.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

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 30 countries, and about 5,200 employees and growing. We proudly serve and support customers in a wide variety of industries and 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/.

References:

Finewax, Z. (2020, December). Quantification and source characterization of volatile organic compounds from exercising and application of chlorine-based cleaning products in a university athletic center. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ina.12781
Curry, D. (2022). Peloton Revenue and Usage Statistics. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/peloton-statistics/
Lewis, D. (2021, March). Why indoor spaces are still prime COVID hotspots. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00810-9
(2020, April), Camfil: Clean Air Is a Human Right―in the Climbing Gym Too, Climbing Business Journal. https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/camfil-clean-air-in-gyms-is-a-human-right/

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Friday, June 24, 2022

Older Americans at Risk – Low Levels of Particulate Matter Can Be Deadly

Low Levels of Particulate Matter Can Be Deadly to Older Americans, According to Large 2022 Study by Health Effects Institute

Air pollution is one of the leading causes of premature death across the globe, with an estimated seven million premature deaths attributed to indoor and outdoor air pollution by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While we tend to think of air pollution fatalities as a far-away problem in developing nations that don’t affect Americans, a new study by the Health Effects Institute (a group funded by the EPA and various players in the fossil fuel industry) strongly indicates otherwise.

2022 PM2.5 Study Shows Premature Deaths Related to Air Pollution in the USA

The study, led by Dr. Francesca Dominici of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, examined public health data from 68.5 million Medicare recipients between 2006 and 2016.

The study had four broad goals:

Estimate long-term exposures to concentrations of PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide across the contiguous United States between 2000 and 2016.
Develop a framework for establishing causal non-linear relationships between air pollution exposure and adverse health effects that accounts for measured and non-measured confounding factors and multiple exposures.
Apply these methods alongside traditional regression models to estimate mortality by year and zip code associated with air pollutants.
Develop approaches for data sharing, record linkage, and statistical software to encourage transparency and replicability of the study.

The study found that the average concentration of PM2.5 that participants were exposed to was 9.8μg/m3, but the range was from 2.8 to 17.2μg/m3. Researchers observed a strong linear correlation between exposure level and health complications below the U.S. limit of 12μg/m3, but this relationship became less distinct at higher exposure levels.

“The finding of increased risk of all-cause mortality in the low exposure subcohort across the various analytical approaches increases the confidence that mortality is associated with long-term concentrations of PM2.5 below the current U.S. standard,” the researchers concluded. The team estimates more than 140,000 deaths that occurred between 2006 and 2016 could have been prevented if the U.S. standard for PM2.5 had been as low as the WHO’s recommended guidelines of 10μg/m3.

Indoor Air Filtration — a Workable Solution for Pollution-Related Health Effects

Exposure to levels of PM2.5 well below the U.S. limit of 12μg/m3 was linked to premature mortality. The U.S. limit is already higher than the WHO’s suggested limit of 10μg/m3. Many medical professionals and public health advocates suggest tightened restrictions to prevent deaths and health complications resulting from exposure to particulate matter. Others fear the restrictions will lead to lessened freedom for individuals and stunted technological innovation and economic growth.

Either way, reducing emissions of particulate matter at the source is a long journey requiring action from governments and manufacturers alike. But there are actions that can be taken by individuals, businesses, and other establishments in the meantime to protect our lungs and help prevent pollution-related deaths.

In the United States, we spend at least 90% of our time indoors, according to the EPA. Indoor air can be as much as fifty times more polluted than outdoor air due to lack of ventilation and indoor sources of air pollution. The reality is for most of us, the majority of our exposure to air pollution occurs inside.

One way to address indoor air pollution is by introducing and upgrading air filtration and ventilation systems in residential and commercial buildings. Camfil’s City M air purifier uses medical-grade Absolute® HEPA filters to target particulate matter and activated carbon filters to target gaseous pollutants. The certified HEPA filters within the City M are 99.995% efficient at capturing particulate matter at the most penetrating particle size (MPPS).

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

Sources:

https://www.healtheffects.org/publication/assessing-adverse-health-effects-long-term-exposure-low-levels-ambient-air-pollution-0

https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality

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Thursday, June 16, 2022

Data Center Defense: Reduce Airborne Contaminants to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Cyber-attack prevention is obviously a huge part of maintaining data center security. But online ambushes aren’t the only dangers data center operators must worry about. Physical threats like heat, humidity and airborne contaminants cause hardware to malfunction and lead to costly downtime.

Depending on the size of the enterprise, data centers can be small enough to fit in a server room, while others fill a floor of a building. The largest data centers are groups of buildings that occupy millions of square feet.

As of January 2022, there were 2,751 large data centers in the United States, and Loudoun County, Virginia, houses the world’s largest concentration of facilities, with more than 25 million square feet currently in operation and millions more in development. That’s followed by 484 data centers located in Germany, 458 in the UK, 447 in China and 324 in Canada.

Results from a recent survey note that 69% of data center owners and operators reported experiencing some form of downtime in the past three years, with half of those incidents causing substantial financial, operational and reputational damage. In addition, 62% of the downtime incidents classified as significant, serious or severe, costing more than $100,000, while 15% of these events cost over $1 million.

Impact of Dirty Outdoor and Indoor Air

Data centers are mostly located in industrialized countries afflicted with outdoor pollution thanks to sources like motor vehicles, manufacturing and industrial processing. This outdoor air pollution affects the indoor air quality of the data center environment because ventilation systems circulate airborne particles from outdoors into the facility.

Large data centers themselves are often a source of air pollution because they require enormous amounts of energy to operate 24 hours a day. The 12 largest data centers in the world occupy millions of square feet of space and consume as much power as a mid-sized town.

In addition, powerful HVAC systems constantly cool, clean and move the air to reduce the heat generated by the electronic equipment, maintain safe humidity levels and filter airborne contaminants. Ventilation systems for large data centers replace the air in the facility 30 to 50 times per hour. That’s significantly more often than the typical air change in an office facility, which is between two and six times per hour.

Diesel Burning Pollutes the Air

Another way that data centers contribute to air pollution is through diesel-burning emergency generators. These are used to keep them running when the primary power goes out. In fact, some states track the impact from this diesel exhaust and issue air quality permits to these technology facilities to limit air pollution levels from diesel-powered backup generators. A data center must prepare a health impact assessment of its toxic air pollution from diesel exhaust particles and accompanying nitrogen dioxide.

It is common for a new data center campus to install 50 to 100 emergency generators, while existing facilities may need to add more generators as they expand. The Northern Regional Office of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality specifically addresses emergency generators in its data center air permitting process. For example, due to the potential for increased emissions, facilities must use the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) to control emissions from new equipment, which usually requires the operator to complete an emissions analysis prior to permitting. They need to ascertain if a generator’s engine would require alterations to meet the 6.0 g/bhp-hr (grams per brake horsepower-hour) BACT emissions limit.

Overheated Servers

Another cause of poor air quality inside data centers is overheated servers that emit gaseous contaminants and particulates. These contaminants can contain chemicals that damage servers, circuit boards and cooling systems and can lead to crippling malfunctions and downtime.

Contaminants emitted include:

Sulfur
Hydrogen sulfide
Chlorine salt

“Because ventilation systems draw in and circulate contaminated air throughout data centers, it’s important to employ effective air filtration to prevent damage to the sensitive electronic equipment,” explains Adam Wiggins, Data Center Segment Manager at Camfil USA. “These dust particles can also damage HVAC components, which can lead to failure of the cooling system and cause dangerous overheating.”

Clearing the Air Inside Data Centers

No matter the size of the data center, precise air filtration is necessary to remove airborne contaminants to prevent them from settling in equipment. Critical electronic components are all at risk if operators do not enforce a rigorous airborne contamination policy. These include:

Servers
Drives
CPUs (central processing unit)
GPUs (graphics processing unit)
Uninterruptible power supply systems

Using the correct air filters helps to ensure the HVAC system is working at the highest level, which in turn reduces energy costs. Accurate air filtration cleans the air inside data centers and pressurizes the air to block external pollutants from entering the facility.

Using low-quality air filters in a data center ventilation system or neglecting to maintain air filters can cause up to a 30% drop in efficiency over the entire system. This is because the system can’t effectively push air through the poorly made, overused or clogged filters. When the filters are compromised, the system uses more power and takes more time to reach the same result as a system using high-quality, properly maintained filters.

“In order to operate 24/7, all components and equipment in the data center must work in concert without interruption. If there is a disruption anywhere along the chain, the entire system is at risk of shutting down. A proactive approach to keeping a data center operational is to prevent the effects of poor indoor air quality by using the appropriate air filters in the ventilation system,” Wiggins explains.

Camfil Air Filter Solutions for Data Centers

Installing Camfil’s 5-star air filters in existing air ventilation systems can reduce energy expenditure by up to 40% by improving airflow through the system. These filters are rated as 5-star filters through the Energy Cost Index (ECI) program. Based upon a five-star scale, the Energy Cost Index is an indicator of what a filter will cost over its lifetime. The best rating—five stars—indicates that the filter is the most energy-efficient, longest-lasting filter available.

To achieve high filtration efficiency to protect delicate electronic equipment at data centers, start with high quality prefilters such as the Camfil 30/30 Dual 9 pleated panel air filters that are effective at removing larger airborne contaminants.. Then pair them with Durafil ES filters that enable the air handling system to remove submicron sized particles. The Durafil ES filter is available with MERV ratings from 11 to 16 for the potential to filter out particles down to .3 microns in size.

Camfil’s Hi-Flo ES filter is also ideal for data center applications because it provides a balance of filtration and energy efficiency without the need for a prefilter. The Hi-Flo ES filter removes large and submicron-sized particles from the air while enabling lower energy consumption than a typical prefilter/filter configuration.

“Camfil filters maintain their efficiency over time because they last longer and provide the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry,” Wiggins notes. “They significantly reduce energy costs, and our data center customers have reported yearly energy savings in the six-figure range.”

To learn more about these air filters, visit Camfil’s data center information page.

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