Insights into Cleaner Air

We’ve all seen the wildfires rage through parts of the western U.S. and Canada in recent years. The smoke from these fires has significantly worsened indoor air quality in that region. In a time when climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires, the functionality of indoor air filters is incredibly important.  We’ve been using conventional air filters for decades in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems to heat, ventilate, and cool our indoor spaces. These filters remove particulate matter and various air pollutants that can be harmful to our lungs. But are these conventional air filters prepared to handle and remove the particulate matter created by wildfires? That’s what we’re here to talk about today.

Since Florence Nightingale in the 1850s, ventilation has been seen as key to a healthy indoor environment. “Unless the air within the [hospital] ward can be kept as fresh as it is without, the patients had better be away,” she wrote. Many others have adopted ventilation as the quickest, easiest path to healthy indoor air quality . For example, in their 2020 book Healthy Buildings, Joseph Allen and John Macomber wrote, “We give the economic evidence demonstrating how even just one building factor – ventilation – can lead to significant enterprise-wide gains, and show you how to create and capture this value.” They further point to the evidence that increased ventilation can improve the health and performance of students and employees.

In most regions, the cost of ventilating facilities during the hot and cold months is a major driver for HVAC energy use by schools and businesses. Traditionally, ventilation has been the primary way to create a healthy and comfortable indoor environment.

On June 24th, ASHRAE announced Standard 241 for Control of Infectious Aerosols, targeting the reduction of airborne disease transmission risks in the indoor environments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many government agencies looked to ASHRAE for HVAC-related procedures for dealing with the spread of infectious viral aerosols.

Commercial air purifiers are an essential tool for improving indoor air quality in commercial buildings. They help to remove pollutants from the air, such PMs as dust, allergens, viruses, and bacteria, making the air safer and healthier to breathe. However, like any mechanical system, commercial air purifiers require regular maintenance, and one of the most critical maintenance tasks is changing the filters. 

Who doesn't love to breathe fresh, clean air? For millennia, we've associated fresh air with the outdoors. The reality, though, is that today, most people spend 90% or more of our time inside, and our planet is changing, fast. So, what's so bad about our indoor air? Here are five reasons why you should care about indoor air quality and why it’s even more important to have fresh air in our workplaces, schools, hospitals, homes, and other indoor spaces. The good news is that a new technology is available to make this both possible and affordable.

Zero net energy (ZNE) buildings are becoming increasingly popular as a way to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. These buildings generate at least as much energy as they consume, resulting in a net-zero energy balance. The latest ZNE buildings being constructed around the world are pushing the boundaries of sustainable architecture and energy efficiency. 

Today, in U.S. schools, over 49 million students will attend classes. Many are in facilities that have been described as “dismal”. A third of school districts haven’t even conducted a facility assessment in the past decade. Substandard facilities affect more than student comfort or the adequacy of equipment for instruction. They are adversely impacting student health and performance, too.

Fifty years ago, outdoor air quality in the U.S. was abysmal. (Water was no better– those were the days of the infamous “Burning Cuyahoga River” in Cleveland.) Major cities were shrouded in brown bubbles of pollution that could be easily seen as you approached on the ground or air.

You might think that your air filters work like a fine-mesh strainer: particles larger than the "strainer" holes get captured, and smaller ones make it through. If you do think that, it’d be understandable. But, you’d be wrong. The science of modern air filters is far more complex, and can seem somewhat counter-intuitive.

Most commercial air purifiers use a mechanical process to pass the air through filters where potentially harmful particles are collected. In purifiers using HEPA-grade filters, like those from Metalmark, 99.97% or more of particles are captured.

Spoiler alert: The short answer is Yes, industrial air purifiers can work. But it depends on which purifier you choose for your situation. People face many indoor air quality (IAQ) threats in the workplace. These include outdoor pollution (roughly half of which makes its way inside typical buildings), dust, allergens, viruses, bacteria, molds, and VOCs. Depending on the workplace, dangerous chemical odors may also be present.

he North Complex Fire is perhaps the most famous recent wildfire. Its smoke and that of other regional wildfires combined in September, 2020, to cause “orange San Francisco.” It’s estimated that hundreds of additional deaths were caused by this wildfire smoke. Some were due to how the smoke amplified the effects of COVID. But the North Complex Fire is not even the largest US wildfire.