Pick the Right Filter for the Job
Indoor air quality, air filtration September 5, 2008
Using proper air filtration technology is an important aspect of improving indoor air quality. While the most familiar are mechanical filters, these can not address all of the air filtration needs within a facility. Mechanical filters only capture particles between 1 and 100 microns, such as dust.
To capture other pollutants in the air stream, other filtration technologies must be used. Electrostatic precipitators use an ionizer and charged parallel plates to remove particles in the .001 to 10 micron range, such as pollen, smoke and fungi.
Gas-phase filters use an absorptive material, such as activated carbon, to absorb pollutants as small as .003 microns from the air. These can include ozone, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and a wide range of organic compounds.
Lastly, ultraviolet-light systems can be used against biological contaminants. These don’t actually filter the organism out of the air stream, but kill them as they pass by the UV light.
Mixing and matching air filtration technology can help tailor the system’s performance to the facility’s needs.
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