Top Air Decontamination Solutions for Viruses
With the re-opening on the horizon, companies must find new ways to provide safe working conditions for their employees. Among the parameters to factor in, air filtration and decontamination are a major issue.
Why is this crucial? According to a recent ASHRAE statement, air filtration in heating, ventilation or air-conditioning systems can help reduce the concentration of SARS-CoV-2, thereby reducing the risk of contamination.
Some services will resume their operations with new air-filtration guidelines. This is true for dental offices that, according to the recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, will have to spread out their visits based on the performance of their ventilation system. A capacity of 12 air changes per hour will thus enable them to see clients 23 minutes apart; whereas a less powerful system could require more than a 2-hour wait! For workers’ health as well as for companies’ profitability, a high-performance ventilation and air-filtration system becomes even more important than before!
Over the past few months, our team conducted a number of realistic trials in order to test different solutions. Here are our winners among the safest options!
Ionex: Decontamination with No Concessions
This electronic air purifier is by far the most effective solution we tested.
Ionex propagates negative ions that cling to airborne contaminants passing into the filtration unit. The contaminants are then attracted to a positively charged plate. This ionization process generates a 24,000-volt electric shock, thereby eliminating all microbes, bacteria and even viruses such as COVID-19. This phenomenon is called the Corona effect. By sheer coincidence, the solution bears the same name as the virus it fights so effectively!
The Ionex is especially suited to cleanrooms and environments requiring a faultless filtration rate, such as the hospital sector.
Learn more about the electronic air purifier
HEPA Air-Purification Cabinet: Functionality and Versatility
The main advantages of this solution? Its excellent value for money and its effectiveness in environments where customer traffic could cause contamination.
With an average power of 350 CFM, the HEPA air-purification cabinet can simply be installed in a room where adequate hygiene is desired by using it as an ambient-air filtration system. This solution can be used for protecting employees and the public who engage in activities where physical distancing is hard to apply, such as in the fields of dentistry and hairdressing, or in public spaces such as waiting rooms.
For dentistry, it is even possible to equip the HEPA air-purification cabinet with an at-source extraction arm. This way, the air intake occurs near the patient and enables the professionals to work without being overly exposed to contaminants. A similar solution is already used at aesthetic centres to quickly eliminate toxic fumes generated from doing nails. A simple, easy-to-install solution.
Learn more about the HEPA air-purification cabinet
Airex Units with ULPA Filters: 99% Efficient!
Lastly, companies that already have air-recirculation dust collectors will be able to enhance their system so that it also reduces the risk of spreading the virus. Our experts looked at the possibility of adding a high-performance ULPA filter to various products, and it’s now being done.
As we recently mentioned, the figures speak for themselves: the ULPA filter is 99.9995% effective for 0.12 µm particles! As an example, the size of the COVID-19 virus varies from 0.06 to 0.140 µm.
One of the things we tested was adding these filters to two Airex products designed for filtering out dangerous particles:
Dashx ULPA Air Shower
The Dashx series air showers have several advantages, including high performance through a high number of air changes within the compartment, as well as an excellent filtration efficiency. This type of personal decontamination booth is particularly popular with companies wanting to prevent the migration of contaminants across various areas.
Learn more about the Dashx air shower
ULPA Power Wall
This product improves the air quality in large spaces where at-source extraction and conventional filtration methods are not applicable.
The metallurgical processing industry, for example, highly values the advantages of the Laminar Cross Draft Filtration Unit.
Viruses or not, an air filtration and decontamination system tailored to your company’s reality will definitely help improve the air quality and protect your team. Without claiming that such a system can completely eliminate the risks, our tests confirm that it can slow the spread of contaminants. However, not all solutions are created equal! To find the one that best suits your situation, turn to our experts.