Since the start of the pandemic, air filtration in schools, hospitals, and homes has been front of mind for people, and a talking point for provincial governments.
© Provided by National Post Just like sand can block water in a river, large particles can block the flow of air through filters.
Often, the filters that go in buildings catch air contaminants such as dust or viruses just fine, but it’s possible that these particles can be too small and slip through the high-efficiency particulate air — or HEPA — filters.
Oliver Centner, CEO of tech company Atmofizer, says the solution lies in soundwaves.
“Essentially, what we’re doing is making snowballs out of the particles that are too fine to be caught by regular filters,” Centner says. “Our solution is to make things bigger; this helps the filter catch more particles.”
Atmofizer developed devices that sit in front of air filters and blast air currents, like sound waves, in front of the filters to clump the small particles together.
HEPA filters, commonly found in homes and businesses, are advertised as being able to filter 99.7 per cent of contaminants in the air. But of those 0.3 per cent that make it through when it comes to the air we breathe, every bit can make a difference, depending on just how harmful the particular particles that make it through the filter are.
People really should pay the same attention to what they breathe as they do to what they drink or eat, Centner says.
“Water had its turn. People are aware of food and focus on organic. It’s time we put as much emphasis and time into thinking about air,” Centner says. “As many as 12 million people each year die from air pollution, five million from indoor air quality and seven from outdoor air quality.”
Atmofizer devices are not designed to replace filters, but to enhance them and make them last longer. Because the air pressure produced by the devices clumps particles together, traditional filters catch larger bits of debris from the air less often. This can actually extend the life of a standard filter, Centner says, likening airflow through a filter to the flow of a river. Just as a pile of sand can block the flow of a river, billions of small particles can clog a filter and wear it out. So, less sand — or particles — means less of a chance of clogging up the works.
The company, based out of Vancouver, plans to sell four types of devices for different applications. A movable device fits into a standard wall outlet and purifies the air in the room. A dual-purpose, portable laptop stand-purifier hybrid is designed for office spaces. For houses and buildings, Atmofizer designed two front-of-filter devices to work alongside existing equipment. The larger devices are not yet available, but plans include technician-installed filters for buildings.
The prices for the two smaller devices range from about $500 to $1,200. Centner said he can’t yet give a dollar figure for the cost of installing the larger system in a home, but these costs may be recouped, since the actual filters will not need to be replaced as often.
Air filters and purification have been discussed a lot, thanks to COVID-19. Brands such as Dyson advertise their purifiers as being developed with COVID in mind, although not specifically to filter out the virus.
In the future, Centner hopes to develop a recyclable, reusable home filter that could be cleaned, potentially in the dishwasher, and quickly put back in place.
Home HEPA filters are available for most air purifiers available on the market, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests the use of a filter alone is not enough to protect against COVID. These portable units can be easily moved into most rooms.
Many schools across Canada are seeking funding to get these filters installed, and provinces such as Ontario continually make talking points regarding the installation of HEPA and other systems in classrooms.
Last month, Ontario childcare operators called for more HEPA filters in their facilities.
Austin Air Systems, an air purifier manufacturer based out of Buffalo, New York, suggests it could cost between USD$600 and $700 per year to run HEPA filter systems in a classroom.
Often, the filters that go in buildings catch air contaminants such as dust or viruses just fine, but it’s possible that these particles can be too small and slip through the high-efficiency particulate air — or HEPA — filters.
Oliver Centner, CEO of tech company Atmofizer, says the solution lies in soundwaves.
“Essentially, what we’re doing is making snowballs out of the particles that are too fine to be caught by regular filters,” Centner says. “Our solution is to make things bigger; this helps the filter catch more particles.”
Atmofizer developed devices that sit in front of air filters and blast air currents, like sound waves, in front of the filters to clump the small particles together.
HEPA filters, commonly found in homes and businesses, are advertised as being able to filter 99.7 per cent of contaminants in the air. But of those 0.3 per cent that make it through when it comes to the air we breathe, every bit can make a difference, depending on just how harmful the particular particles that make it through the filter are.
People really should pay the same attention to what they breathe as they do to what they drink or eat, Centner says.
“Water had its turn. People are aware of food and focus on organic. It’s time we put as much emphasis and time into thinking about air,” Centner says. “As many as 12 million people each year die from air pollution, five million from indoor air quality and seven from outdoor air quality.”
Atmofizer devices are not designed to replace filters, but to enhance them and make them last longer. Because the air pressure produced by the devices clumps particles together, traditional filters catch larger bits of debris from the air less often. This can actually extend the life of a standard filter, Centner says, likening airflow through a filter to the flow of a river. Just as a pile of sand can block the flow of a river, billions of small particles can clog a filter and wear it out. So, less sand — or particles — means less of a chance of clogging up the works.
The company, based out of Vancouver, plans to sell four types of devices for different applications. A movable device fits into a standard wall outlet and purifies the air in the room. A dual-purpose, portable laptop stand-purifier hybrid is designed for office spaces. For houses and buildings, Atmofizer designed two front-of-filter devices to work alongside existing equipment. The larger devices are not yet available, but plans include technician-installed filters for buildings.
The prices for the two smaller devices range from about $500 to $1,200. Centner said he can’t yet give a dollar figure for the cost of installing the larger system in a home, but these costs may be recouped, since the actual filters will not need to be replaced as often.
Air filters and purification have been discussed a lot, thanks to COVID-19. Brands such as Dyson advertise their purifiers as being developed with COVID in mind, although not specifically to filter out the virus.
In the future, Centner hopes to develop a recyclable, reusable home filter that could be cleaned, potentially in the dishwasher, and quickly put back in place.
Home HEPA filters are available for most air purifiers available on the market, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests the use of a filter alone is not enough to protect against COVID. These portable units can be easily moved into most rooms.
Many schools across Canada are seeking funding to get these filters installed, and provinces such as Ontario continually make talking points regarding the installation of HEPA and other systems in classrooms.
Last month, Ontario childcare operators called for more HEPA filters in their facilities.
Austin Air Systems, an air purifier manufacturer based out of Buffalo, New York, suggests it could cost between USD$600 and $700 per year to run HEPA filter systems in a classroom.
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