Air quality is something we tend to take for granted until it’s much too late, i.e. when we can see
the smog with our own eyes. But even when the air you breathe is seemingly clean, it can still
have detrimental effects.
The CSIRO estimated the costs of poor indoor air quality to reach as much as $12 billion per
year in Australia.
And when it comes to viruses like Covid-19, ineffective HVAC filtering can spread the pathogen
throughout your workplace, rendering other safety measures obsolete.
How can you combat these issues?
Fit HEPA filtration systems into your buildings.
HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, and while that name may have you confused,
the benefits of these filters will not.
What are HEPA filters?
HEPA filters are made up of extremely fine glass threads less than 1 micron (0.001 mm) in
diameter, making them 75 times thinner than a human hair. These threads are then woven into
a dense web of layers and folded into an accordion shape.
Why this shape?
It allows the maximum amount of filter to fit within the designated area.
Air purifiers fitted with HEPA filters have a 99.95% filtration efficiency. Meaning, your air purifier
will trap 99.95% of all particles down to 0.1 microns in the air, including:
- Bacteria
- Smoke
- Pet dander
- Dust
- General harmful substances
- Viruses
- Pollution
- Pollution
By filtering out all these particles, the air you breathe will be cleaner and safer.
How do HEPA filters work?
You know that HEPA filters are great for helping you breathe clean, pollutant-free air, but how
do they work?
Your HEPA filter works in four key ways:
● Sieving: Sieving is where the particles that enter the filter are too large to make it
between fibres, causing them to get stuck.
● Direct impact: When particles are too large, they often travel in a straight path which
causes them to make contact with a fibre.
● Interception: Interception happens when inertia causes a particle to veer off course and
get stuck in the filter’s fibres.
● Diffusion: When particles are extra small, they don’t follow the airstream perfectly. This
phenomenon causes the particle to bounce around erratically, leading to a collision with
the fibres.
These four methods are how HEPA filters can trap 99.95% of particles down to 1 micron—and
some particles below this size.
Why HEPA filters are your best choice
So, we’ve established that HEPA filters are excellent at filtering unwanted particles out of
the air you breathe.
But, how does this air filtration benefit you?
1. HEPA filtration can help soothe allergies and asthma
Almost 20 per cent of the Australian population suffers from allergic rhinitis, while 1 in 9 has
asthma.
There are many causes of allergies and worsening asthma symptoms, including:
● Exhaust and factory smoke
● Dust mites
● Pollen
● Mould
● Pet dander
But through air purification, these particles can be filtered out, providing relief from allergy
and asthma symptoms. Taking this a step further, you can use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to
further clean surfaces such as floors, carpets and couches.
What about other options for easing allergies and asthma?
Right now, there are two other potential solutions for soothing these conditions. However, they
typically aren’t as effective as HEPA filtration and come with more side effects.
● UV air purifier: UV purifiers tend to produce ozone as a by-product of the filtration
process. Unfortunately, ozone can pose health risks to those who come into contact with
it. It can cause respiratory infections, coughing, chest pains and a host of other issues.
These issues are said to be reduced if the lamps are specially coated. However, this
coating doesn’t negate all of the effects.
● Ionisation: Ionisation works by releasing negative particles that attach themselves to
positive particles in the air. Once connected, these particles become too heavy to stay
airborne and fall into the purifier.
The main problem with this method is that these particles often fall onto surfaces around
the filter, which negates any benefits of cleaning the air. And like UV purifiers, ionisers
also produce ozone, making allergy and asthma symptoms worse.
While these other methods for air filtration are promising, there are still too many negatives
involved to recommend them over HEPA filters.
2. They may prevent the spread of infections
With Covid-19 shifting everyone’s attention to infections, how they spread and possible
preventions, HEPA filters provide a promising solution.
Researchers installed HEPA filters combined with UV into a Covid-19 general ward and
received clear signs that the filter was doing what it was supposed to.
The air in the ward was tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 before, during and after the
time scientists fitted the HEPA filter.
The result?
SARS-CoV-2 was detected on nine out of ten days without the filter. However, scientists saw
no presence on each day they tested the air with the filter.
Typically, UV filters can’t inactivate SARS-CoV-2 due to the virus passing through the filter too
quickly. So attaching a HEPA filter could likely be the primary reason for the experiment’s
success. However, further study is still needed.
3. Clean air improves productivity and performance
While it’s easy to see the productivity improvements of breathing clean air in those who suffer
from allergies, what about the other 80 per cent of people?
A study on the effects of air quality on performance showed that, yes, better quality air leads to
improvements.
Some of the benefits include:
● 26 per cent better performance on cognitive tests
● 30 per cent fewer “sick building syndrome” symptoms
● 6 per cent better sleep quality
These results were thanks to the employees breathing cleaner air due to increased ventilation
and fewer pollutants.
Improvements in productivity and performance aren’t just beneficial to these individuals, but to
the businesses they work for as well.
A Harvard study on the costs of air quality associated performance declines found that
doubling ventilation rates is worth $6,500 per person per year.
Plus, this number doesn’t include increased productivity through employees having fewer sick
days and “sick building syndrome” symptoms.
Enjoy improvements in health, performance and productivity with
HEPA filters.
While the benefits of HEPA filtration are clear to see, you must choose the proper setup for your
workplace. Even though HEPA filters have proven results, you won’t get the results you want if
your purifiers and filters aren’t suitable for your needs.
Want to enquire about our HEPA filters, reach out to us to learn more about our
personalised HEPA filtration solutions.
